Pangasinan, Zamboanga bets kick off campaign amid heat, rain

MANILA, Philippines — Local candidates in Pangasinan started combing barangays to woo voters amid the sweltering heat as they kicked off their campaign on Friday.

Provincial election supervisor Ericson Oganiza told The STAR that the first day of the campaign period for local candidates went on smoothly except for traffic jams in some areas.

As of noon yesterday, Oganiza said there was no report of any untoward incident.

In Dagupan, former mayor Belen Fernandez and her runningmate Vice Mayor Dean Bryan Kua and their team attended mass and held a motorcade. Their proclamation rally was later held at the CSI Mall in Barangay Lucao.

The candidates held another campaign parade yesterday.

Fernandez’s opponent, Mayor Brian Lim, his runningmate Carlos Fernandez and members of their ticket also started their campaign with a mass then a motorcade in the downtown area.

In Zamboanga City, a heavy downpour did not stop candidates from holding motorcades.

The rain was due to the intertropical convergence zone in Southern Mindanao, with easterlies affecting parts of Western Mindanao.

Most of the candidates said the rain was a blessing and a refreshing relief from the summer heat.

Zamboanga City has 118 local candidates from congressional district representatives to city and municipal councilors.

There are four candidates for mayor – former congressman Celso Lobregat, Vice Mayor Rommel Agan, Councilor John Dalipe and first district representative Cesar Jimenez Jr.

District 2 election officer Stephen Roy Cañete reminded candidates to always observe minimum public health standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

He said handshakes and house-to-house campaign are prohibited.