“As we celebrate (the MassKara Festival) we wear masks. But we should also be wary of people who put on masks because of other motives,” Korina Sanchez Roxas, wife of presidential aspirant Mar Roxas, said yesterday.

Roxas, who spoke at Bacolod City's 77 th Charter Day program at SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City last night, said “We should not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who are persuasive. Those who say there is a need for change.”

What is there to change? We do not know, she said.

Roxas said she believes that the Negrenses and Bacolodnons know how to discern the truth. They know what has been tested and should be continued, which to her is the “daang matuwid (the right path).”

“In the past five years, we have experienced the continued improvement of our economy because of a clean government and good leadership. This progress has benefitted many,” she said.

The Negros Island Region is a testament that the government has listened to its people, Roxas also said.

There are also over 11,000 families in Bacolod who are recipients of the 4-Ps program of the government, and about 2 million beneficiaries of PhilHealth in Negros, she said.

These are just a few examples of how the “daang matuwid” and tthe Aquino administration has been able to help the people, she said.

This is the vision that the Aquino administration is fighting for, together her husband and vice presidential aspirant Leni Robredo, Roxas said.

Roxas also lauded Bacolod City for the growth of its Business Process Outsourcing industry.

Bacolod is one of the top 100 outsourcing destinations in the world, she said.

Bacolod has gotten its share of the 1.1 million BPO workforce and $18.4 billion in revenue, that have exceeded their expectations when the BPO industry started when Mar Roxas was yet with the Department of Trade and Industry, she added.

“As a city, Bacolod is among the top outstanding BPOs in the country and has more reason to celebrate,” she said.

Sanchez also extended the warm greetings of her husband, Mar Roxas, to the people of Bacolod in the celebration of the MassKara Festival and Charter Day anniversary.

"You are always on his mind because he loves you,” Sanchez, said adding that she was tasked to come here to represent Roxas who is in Nueva Ecija and the Cordilleras that were badly hit by typhoon Lando.

Puentevella said that Bacolod is now considered as a land of opportunities due to its booming economic growth.

He said Bacolod is blessed because despite the intermittent weather condition, the Charter Day parade and MassKara Festival streetdance and other events were successfully held.

Puentevella attributed the success of Bacolod to its people, the present and past leaders and employees, including the street cleaners who made the streets clean immediately after the MassKara events.*CGS

back to top