Manicad: Duterte a big help in sorties
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2019 08:28:34 +0000
MANICAD
SINDANGAN, Zamboanga del Norte – Barnstorming Mindanao may make it more difficult for pure Tagalog-speaking senatorial candidates to court voters, but the popularity and credible leadership of President Duterte compensate for the language barrier between the administration-backed Senate hopeful.
Multi-awarded broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad, a member of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago senatorial team, made this observation as he acknowledged the language handicap he is facing as he and HNP candidates tour Mindanao.
Manicad said Duterte and his daughter, HNP chariperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, count Mindanao as their political fortress, adding that this will give him and other non-Cebuano speaking bets a boost in the campaign.
“Based sa personal observation ko, of course yung dialect is an advantage. Iyong nag start sila ng Visayas-Mindanao leg, nag switch na sila sa Visayan dialect (na) Cebuano, Ilonggo, Kiniray-a. Iba-ibang dialects, dito mas nakaka-connect (ng) mas malapit yung mga kandidato ng HNP,” Manicad told his former colleagues in the the journalism profession during an interview here.
Manicad, a native of San Pablo City, Laguna in Southern Tagalog, has joined the HNP senatorial caravan as it launched the Mindanao leg of the national campaign led by Mayor Duterte here.
He noted that while Tagalog is widely understood here, making a connection with the voters and explaining his legislative platform in the Senate remain a concern.
“Generally speaking, personal observation ko kapag nag greet ka sa local dialect mas naiintindihan nila at mas madali sila makaka-relate kung sa kanilang dialect,” the GMA-7 star reporter noted. (Ben Rosario)