Villar takes page from Roxas book, is new ‘Mr. Palengke’

DAVAO CITY - Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manuel Villar appeared to have snatched the ‘Mr. Palengke’ title from Liberal Party vice presidential bet Mar Roxas, with the way he has been going around public markets lately.

Villar made sure that he got to visit public markets whenever he was in a province.

During his Mindanao sortie on Thursday and Friday, he met vendors and market-goers at the Agdao public market and the Bankerohan market here, the city's largest and busiest.

From the Bangkerohan market here, Villar also went to Mati City in Davao Oriental, Digos City in Davao del Sur, Surigao City, Bislig and Tandag in Surigao.

Last month, he visited a total of seven public markets in Visayas.

In all his market visits, Villar chatted with vendors and market-goers about the increasing prices of food and other basic commodities.

At the Agdao public market, he joined members of an urban poor group in a "boodle fight" that included boiled sweet potatoes, bananas, rice, mackerel and fish paste in the menu.

NP senatorial bet Liza Maza said the dinner hosted by urban poor group Kadamay showed that Villar and his slate was gaining the support of the deprived sector of society.

"It was a heartwarming welcome and show of support. The plight of the poor Filipinos is getting worse each day as prices of basic commodities go high. The dinner clearly showed that reality," Maza said.

"This is a big challenge to the Filipino electorate's standards in choosing their bets for the May polls. Leaders who will push for pro-poor policies must be number one in our list," Franchie Buhayan, secretary general of Kadamay, said.

In Tagum City on Thursday, Villar also met with businessmen before talking with vendors and market-goers.

During the meeting, Villar thanked some of the province's businessmen for expressing support to his candidacy.

Larry Rubinos, owner of a large appliance and furniture company here, said the country should elect a leader "who has the political will for the tough job ahead."

"As a businessman myself, I knew Villar to be that man," Rubinos, president of the LYR Group of Companies, said.

Villar expressed confidence of gaining more support - even from rival political parties - in the run-up to the elections.

"Ponkan politics is now in the air. Those green at the start of the campaign could be turning orange now," NP senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla agreed.

Remulla was obviously referring to Lakas-Kampi stalwarts, among them Compostela Valley governor Arturo Uy, joining the Villar bandwagon. Green is the campaign color of Lakas-Kampi standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro, while the NP's official color is orange.

"Now is the time to stop this incompetence (in running the country)," Villar said as he talked about the increasing prices of basic necessities, the power situation and other issues.

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