Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday called on his fellow candidates in the upcoming 2022 elections a month’s worth of their political advertisement spending to the survivors of Typhoon Odette.
“I am appealing to my fellow candidates, whether for national or local posts, to do the same,” said Zubiri.
The senator has been going to provinces struck by Odette, personally delivering rice, groceries, water, face masks, and tents, purchased using personal funds he had originally intended for his advertising budget as a re-electionist.
“I know that advertising is a huge part of everyone’s campaign right now, given the limited movement imposed by the ongoing pandemic, but these concerns are nothing compared to how our people are hungry and homeless in Visayas and Mindanao. They need all the help that we can give,” he said.
“As soon as we saw how Typhoon Odette ravaged Visayas and Mindanao, we decided we would hold off on a month of advertising so we can redirect our funds to purchasing relief goods for our people,” he added.
Just before Christmas and right after New Year, Zubiri made his way to Visayas and Mindanao to personally deliver 3,200 fifty-kilogram sacks of rice; 3,800 grocery packs; 500 five-gallon jugs of mineral water; 1,200 evacuation tents; and 50,000 face masks to nine provinces and six cities and municipalities, namely Agusan del Norte, Butuan City, Surigao del Norte, Iloilo Province, Iloilo City, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Kabankalan City, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro City, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao Island.
“There are very urgent needs that we need to attend to at the moment to make sure that our people are fed, clothed, and sheltered. So, I hope more candidates can forego some ad spending and donate to communities affected by the typhoon. We’re all running because we want to serve our people, right? Now is the time to do just that,” Zubiri said.