Alyansa senatorial bets join 'Suroy-Suroy Sugbo'

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CEBU CITY — Senatorial candidates under the administration's Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas ramped up their campaign efforts in Cebu, the country's most vote-rich province, by joining Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia's "Suroy-Suroy Sugbo" northern leg.

The political event was a two-day heritage and political caravan that merged cultural tourism with grassroots consultation.

Former Senate president Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, former senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, and Sen. Pia Cayetano visited towns and cities across northern Cebu on April 11 and 12 as part of One Cebu Party's organized tour.

The event drew crowds of supporters, barangay leaders, and local officials, and was marked by festive activities, courtesy calls, and speeches from national candidates.

The five lawmakers, who are part of the slate endorsed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., aimed to connect with Cebu's 3.4 million registered voters, seen as a critical bloc in the May 2025 midterm elections.

Garcia, a political powerhouse in the province, has so far endorsed eight Alyansa senatorial candidates.

Speaking in behalf of the group, Lacson expressed confidence in securing the support of Cebuanos, citing their shared agenda to boost the capacity of local government units.

"Hopefully, kasi nga, I for one, and this is shared by many of the Alyansa senatorial candidates, believe that we should really strengthen the local government units in terms of funding and budget," said Lacson during a town hall-style meeting.

"I'm very appreciative of Executive Order 82 signed and issued by President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.), enhancing and strengthening the Regional Development Councils," added Lacson, who praised Governor Garcia's leadership and noted Cebu's economic performance.

He cited the province's P411 billion gross domestic products in 2023, which reflected a six-percent growth, and vowed to support institutional reforms that would strengthen the Department of Tourism's budget, emphasizing that sustained investment in tourism will benefit Cebu and the entire region.

Sotto echoed the push for stronger local governance and highlighted his legislative track record, including the creation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Mental Health Act, and the Doktor Para sa Bayan law.

He also reaffirmed his advocacy to institutionalize a 14th month pay and penalize the spread of fake news.

Sotto explained that releasing the 14th month pay in June would help families cover school expenses, but emphasized that such policies required public backing to gain traction in Congress.

Pacquiao, addressing residents in Liloan, emphasized his anti-poverty platform and said he remained committed to his housing program and other initiatives for the poor.

He also acknowledged One Cebu's alliance with the Ako Bisaya Party-list, choosing not to campaign for his own party-list out of respect.

"And with that, I encourage all of you to support your party-list. Unite, because if your party-list wins, the projects will still go to you here," said Pacquiao.

Ako Bisaya nominees include Rep. Sonny Lagon, and the governor's daughter Carissa Garcia as the second nominee.

Villar pledged to create more job opportunities, assist overseas Filipino workers, and support affordable housing projects.

She said she intends to expand her family's legacy in these sectors by pushing programs that would uplift more Filipino families.

Cayetano, who joined the second day of the caravan, urged the public to take advantage of the tuition-free medical education offered at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in partnership with Cebu Normal University.

She said this initiative could significantly improve health care access in underserved areas of the Visayas.

The caravan began on April 11 with a mass at the Panphil C. Frasco Memorial Sports Complex in Liloan.

The first day covered the municipalities of Carmen, Catmon, and Sogod, as well as the city of Bogo and Madridejos. The following day's leg included Bantayan, Santa Fe, Tabogon, Compostela, and Consolacion.

This marked the second time the Alyansa senatorial slate took part in "Suroy-Suroy Sugbo" following their participation in the March 27–29 tour of southern Cebu.

Designed as a unique mix of cultural immersion and political outreach, the caravan has become a strategic platform for candidates to build rapport with voters at the community level.

Aside from the five who joined the northern leg, Garcia has also endorsed Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Francis Tolentino, and former Interior secretary Benhur Abalos, all part of the broader Alyansa slate.

With campaign season in full swing, Cebu remains a crucial battleground, and the support of the Garcia-led One Cebu Party is expected to weigh heavily in the outcome of the senatorial race.

The Alyansa slate also includes Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Cayetano, Senator Lito Lapid, and ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo.