SAN NICOLAS, Pangasinan—Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday promised to set up a Malacañang regional office in Pangasinan, her father’s home province, if she wins the presidency in the May 9 elections.
She acknowledged the support the Pangasinenses gave her when she ran for senator in 2013 and to her father, Fernando Poe Jr., when he ran for president in 2004.
“Noong tumakbo si FPJ ‘nung 2004, ang Pangasinan ang kauna-unahang nagdeklara na siya ay Pilipino, na siya ay isang mabuting tao, na siya ay isang taga-Pangasinan,” Poe told a crowd of 5.000.
“At ‘nung ako naman ay tumakbo ‘nung 2013, bagama’t isang ampon, itong Pangasinan ang unang umako sa akin at nagsabing ‘anak ng Pangasinan,’ kaya number one din ako dito noong 2013.”
Poe said she will make sure that the promised access to education for indigent students and free irrigation for farmers will benefit the people of the province.
“‘Pag ako ay naging pinuno ninyo, hindi ako magbibingi-bingihan o magbubulag-bulagan sa kailangan ninyo,” Poe said.
“Ang Malacañang ay hindi dapat sa Maynila lamang. Sa bawat rehiyon magkakaroon ako ng opisina para mas madali ninyo akong mapuntahan. At, siyempre, ang isa sa unang opisina ay dito sa Pangasinan.”
Poe and her running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, are campaigning in Pangasinan with the senatorial bets of their Partido Galing at Puso.
They were welcomed and accompanied in their town visits by local officials and Abono Party-list group chairman Rosendo So.
Pangasinan is a vote-rich province with 1.7-million registered voters. Poe was the top senatorial pick in the province in 2013.