By Farah G. Decano

 

PRESIDENTIAL contender Leni Robredo’s recent successive mega-rallies are now making the surveys of popular research centers look unbelievable.  How can a candidate, who consistently gets less than 30 percent of the respondents compared to her closest rival who garners more than 50 percent, command such massive crowd in various parts of the Philippines?

The trend of Robredo’s having mammoth rallies began in Quezon City when a throng of around 20,000 people in pink shirts flocked to the QC Memorial Circle in broad daylight.  The rose-colored multitude of moving supporters against a backdrop of green trees and the towering QC monument was a sight to behold.  It signaled freshness and hope.  It seemed like people power again.

A few days after the QC rally, Robredo held her miting de avance in Cebu. More people gathered around her and warmly welcomed her presidential bid.  Not to be outdone in nearby Iloilo, the Ilonggos showed up in much greater number than their Bisayan neighbors.

Fearing that Robredo may duplicate her recent Visayan feats, the reigning powerful politicians in Cavite belittled the Bicolana’s charisma and promised to deliver eight hundred thousand votes in favor of her closest rival.  On the day of Robredo’s scheduled rally, these wily politicos ensured the difficulty of exodus of Cavitenos to the rally site in General Trias.  Suddenly there were road constructions.

That Robredo rode at the back of a motorcycle rider just to be at her Cavite rally on time did not escape the netizens.  Her “Angkas” pictures circulated around various social media sites in a matter of hours.  All the more the Filipinos were enamored by her resilience and her determination.  All the more the Filipinos were reminded of their own mothers who generally would do anything for their children no matter the inconvenience or hardship.

The powerful Remullas of Cavite must have miscalculated their moves.  Robredo riding on a bike so she won’t disappoint her supporters was sentimentalized by many Filipinos for days.  Robredo’s popularity soared.

In his effort to halt the steep rise of Robredo’s fame in his own turf, Congressman Boying Remulla branded the 47,000 strong crowd as mere paid audience.  Another wrong move.  Remembering their mothers in Robredo, more Filipinos ran to their social media accounts to take up the cudgels to defend Robredo.  They praised her clean Commission on Audit records and pummeled her closest opponent as a thief and a liar.  The attendees to the Cavite Rally condemned the accusation as a personal affront.

Fired up, the supporters of Robredo in other parts of the country vowed to come up with better assemblies.  Before a flock of 45,000 Leni followers, Bulacan showcased its culture and fireworks display.  In the Bacolod rally, where 70,000 people came together, the Negrenses proudly presented their Masskara dance festival. Very recently, Zamboangenos welcomed Robredo with a beautifully themed miting de avance called “Layag,” alluding to the movement of its famous Vinta along the sea.

It is interesting that through these people’s demonstrations of overwhelming support for Robredo, Filipinos are able assert their local identity and at the same time express their oneness with the rest.

With the very rich Pangasinan culture, I am sure our local organizers are now cracking their brains as to how they will be able to best express their unison with the rest of the Filipinos without losing the Pangasinan distinctiveness.

If there is one thing Jesse and Leni Robredo have been encouraging all along, it is grassroots expression and participation up to the higher echelons of decision making.  This is their brand.

There is no other presidential candidate in my memory who has inspired so much volunteerism and pride in their own localities while cooperating with the rest of the nation.  This is the Robredo Phenomenon.

Is it time for some survey centers to adjust their methodology, perhaps?

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