BAGUIO, Philippines – Two of the 5 candidates for the presidency barnstormed parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on Sunday, March 13, visiting the same venues at different times throughout the day. 

Vice President Jejomar Binay, standard-bearer of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), was in Baguio City to attend the graduation of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Gabay-Laya” Class of 2016. 

His longtime rival, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, was also in the area for a series of campaign sorties culminating in a proclamation rally with President Benigno Aquino III, the guest of honor in the same PMA graduation. 

The two ran against each other in the 2010 vice presidential race. Binay won that race even if Roxas emerged victorious in the province of Benguet and Baguio City. 

While Aquino and Binay attended the PMA graduation, Roxas was in Bontoc, Mountain Province for a gathering with local officials and leaders. 

The two also happened to visit two public markets on the same day, but at different times. 

Roxas was in the La Trinidad public market in the morning, accompanied by running mate Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo’s daughter Aika and Binay did the same in the afternoon, after the PMA graduation. 

The Baguio City Public Market also hosted the two presidential hopefuls on Sunday – Roxas early in the afternoon and Binay, a few hours later after a motorcade. 

Markets, or palengkes in local parlance, are a trademark of Roxas, dating back to his 2004 senate run. Roxas topped that Senate race, thanks in part to the successful “Mr. Palengke” campaign, which highlighted his efforts as trade chief under two presidents. 

Palengke runs are also a common feature in Roxas’ 2016 campaign. 

The Vice President has also made market visits a key feature in his sorties around the country. During his visits, Binay sometimes delivers impromptu speeches or makes it a point to grab a meal in public markets.

If Baguio and Benguet were for Roxas in 2010, early opinion polls indicate things might not be the same in 2016. 

According to the latest Laylo poll, Senator Grace Poe leads in the CAR, with 39% of those surveyed saying they would vote for her. Binay trails with 32%, while Roxas is 3rd with 11%. 

The region, composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and the Mountain Province, has the lowest number of registered voters in the Philippines – just around 906,000.

– Rappler.com