Campaign Trail: Where candidates are, March 7-13

MANILA, Philippines (7th UPDATE) – This week, as we anticipated the results of latest surveys after the first presidential debate, most candidates for the highest post focused on particular regions to woo and consolidate voter support.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, standard-bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance or UNA, started the week in Central Luzon, while Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of PDP-Laban concentrated on Metro Manila and neighboring provinces the entire week. Manuel Roxas of the Liberal Party adapted his campaign schedule to the activities of President Benigno Aquino III, while independent Senator Grace Poe had a rather disjointed sorties schedule, jumping from one province to another that are in different major island groups.

Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who had tied with Senator Francis Escudero for the top spot in the latest surveys, were in Mindanao from mid-week onwards.

It had been a month since they kicked off their campaigns.

This was how the week of March 7 to 13 looked like on the campaign trail:

Monday, March 7

• Binay spent his second day in Pampanga.
• Poe was in Butuan and Bayugan in Agusan del Sur, and in Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte.
• At 11 am, Duterte paid a courtesy call to Governor Jun Ynares at the provincial capitol of Rizal.
• Roxas and running mate Robredo attended an International Women’s Celebration at the Makati Coliseum in Makati City. 

Tuesday, March 8

• Binay attended the Women’s Month celebration in Lucena City, Quezon, in the morning. He then began his two-day campaign in Zambales in the afternoon. He visited the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in San Narciso, then held a motorcade around several municipalities before holding a rally along Magsaysay Street in the evening.
• Poe attended the Gabriela women’s day rally and later learned in the afternoon that the Supreme Court rule to allow her to run for president.
• Roxas did the rounds of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Compostella Valley.

Wednesday, March 9

• Binay wrapped up his Zambales sorties.
• Poe held a rally in Lucena City, Quezon province.
• Duterte did the rounds of Valenzuela City.
• Roxas was with President Aquino in Batangas and Laguna.
• Marcos visited General Santos City and other parts of South Cotabato.

Thursday, March 10

• Poe went to Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte.
• Duterte had a string of speaking engagements in the Manila-Pasay area. At 12 noon, he was at the Joint Manning Group general assembly meeting at Diamond Hotel in Manila; at 1:45 pm, at the grand gathering of G-12 Leaders of the Philippines at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City; at 3:45 pm, at the 35th Annual Chest Convention of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians at Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.
• Roxas was with President Aquino in Cavite.
• Marcos did the rounds in North Cotabato and Davao City.

Friday, March 11

• Poe held a rally in Isabela province.
• Duterte spoke at the Governance, Transformation and Social Transformation forum at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, at 1:30 pm.
• Roxas visited Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur.
• Marcos was in Davao del Norte.

Saturday, March 12

• Marcos visited Zamboanga del Norte.

Sunday, March 13

• In Baguio City, Roxas joined President Aquino, who spoke in the morning at the Philippine Military Academy graduation rites.
• Binay attended the PMA graduation rites as well, and later visit farms and markets in La Trinidad, Benguet. He attended a 5 pm mass in Baguio before going on a motorcade around the area of the Pink Sisters’ Convent, Engineer’s Hill, and Upper Session Road.

This page was constantly updated throughout the week as advisories from candidates’ camps and their supporters came in. – Rappler.com