Not only did San Pedro City, Laguna elect its first-ever representative to Congress, its new representative-elect, Laguna 1st District Board Member Ann Matibag, is the first woman to hold the position.
The 2022 elections will be remembered as a series of firsts for San Pedro City in Laguna.
Not only did the city elect its first-ever representative to Congress, its new representative-elect, Laguna 1st District Board Member Ann Matibag, is the first woman to hold the position.
In the race for the distinction of who will be the first representative of San Pedro City for Congress (still, by law, designated as the 1st District of Laguna Province), Matibag received a plurality of the city's votes: 69,615 votes, over her nearest rival, former Laguna board member and Philippine International Trading Corporation's (PITC) president Dave Almarinez, who received only 53,783 votes.
This, despite rumors that Almarinez poured a lot of money into his machinery in the final days of the campaign period.
Almarinez, whose residency and track record as a public servant has been questioned (he is currently facing charges at the Office of the Ombudsman for corruption during his term as president of PITC), had reportedly brought in busloads of supporters to his campaign rallies in a desperate effort to portray popular support.
Edge among voters
However, many pundits had believed that Matibag had the edge from the start.
Aside from the fact that both she and her husband, current Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag, are known to be "natives" of San Pedro City, her programs championing women, health and youth had endeared her to "Lagunanays" who had won her support.
“Kung titingnan mo sa kahit anong anggulo, mas malaki talaga ang lamang ni Matibag sa kanyang katunggali,” an analyst who requested anonymity told OpinYon Laguna.
“Hindi lang ito dahil sa mga programa niya na malaki ang naitulong sa mga Lagunense lalo na noong panahon ng pandemiya, hindi rin maitatanggi na meron siyang charisma sa mga botante. Lahat ng kilos at salita niya, nagpahiwatig sa mga botante na sincere talaga siya sa kanyang mga adbokasiya at hangarin na mas mapaunlad pa ang kabuhayan ng mga Lagunense.”
Of course, there’s also that “luck factor,” other observers noted as they pointed out that Matibag had clinched the first spot for Board Member of the 1st District of Laguna in 2019 despite her lack of experience in politics.
‘Don’t lose hope in humanity’
In one of her first posts on Facebook after being proclaimed as Congresswoman, Matibag reflected on the hardships she and her supporters had undergone through the campaign trail.
“I guess I can now sleep with a lighter happy heart knowing that we can all be together, no lives shall be shattered. Hindi pwede, hindi ako papayag,” she said on her Facebook post.
“And at the end of the election campaign, let this be a lesson that when a person is given a position, everyone will see its true character. Being human is already given but keeping our humanity is our choice. Let us not lose hope in humanity, instead have a heart to love, with resilience to help others in the face of adversity. Sama sama pa din tayong lahat para sa ating magandang bukas.”
Meanwhile, Matibag also promised to carry on the programs and projects she had spearheaded as board member until she starts her duties as San Pedro City’s representative on June 30.
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