Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and senatorial candidate Harry Roque received a warm welcome from thousands of supporters led by Governor Manuel Mamba at Cagayan Provincial Capitol ground in Tuguegarao City. Here, Gov. Mamba greets Duterte with a fist bump. Photo by Ver Noveno
Gov. Mamba grateful to Sara, Davao City
TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – Governor Manuel Mamba has said he could not forget how Davao City sent relief assistance for the people of the province who were affected by disasters.
So when Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte went to Cagayan on Tuesday, Mamba was there to welcome her.
The province was devastated by Super Typhoon Lawin in 2016, Typhoon Ompong in 2018, and Typhoon Ulysses in 2020. And in all these disasters, Mamba said, the Davao city government sent help.
“Hindi nyo po kami nakakalimutan,” Mamba said.
“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa iyo Mayor Inday Sara dahil sa lahat ng sakuna dito, andyan ang Davao City palaging nagpapadala ng financial assistance at relief goods dito,” Mamba added.
Duterte also expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome she received from the people of the province.
“Unang-una po ay ang pagpapasalamat sa oras at oportunidad na ibinigay ninyo sa akin sa araw na ito upang makapagbigay ng mensahe,” Duterte said.
The vice presidential candidate and UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque on Tuesday visited the provincial capitol hall during a stopover of the “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride” (MNPR).
Mamba also recalled that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited them when disasters hit the province.
“In-ompong po kami taong 2018, ang ating Presidente pumunta po dito. Another typhoon hit us after two years, andito na naman siya. He was here again, helping us out to recover,” Mamba said.
The governor said although he did not support Duterte in the presidential elections in 2016, he saw for himself President Duterte’s passion to serve.
“It was the first time I saw a president coming to us every time we have problems here,” he said.
The governor also said the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, a Build, Build, Build (BBB) project of the Duterte administration, will open in March or April this year.
The P4.3 billion project is financed by China and is eyed to benefit more than 4,000 farmer families in Cagayan and Kalinga provinces, and irrigate more than 8,000 hectares of farmlands.
If she wins, Duterte has vowed to continue the Duterte administration’s BBB program.
