Leni Robredo endorses Ramon Magsaysay awardee for senator
Credit to Author: Ian Laqui| Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2025 19:23:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Former Vice President Leni Robredo endorsed Zamboanga Sibugay fisherman Robert Ballon for his Senate bid.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, March 3, Robredo said that Ballon, who is popularly known as “Ka Dodoy,” “brought life back to his hometown” by planting mangroves.
“Ka Dodoy is running for the Senate and visited me in Naga today. He remains a true inspiration for all of us to this day,” Robredo said.
Ballon filed his certificate of candidacy aiming for a seat in the Senate on Oct. 7, 2024. He said that he wanted to strengthen climate laws in the country.
Roberto "Ka Dodoy" Ballon, a fisherfolk leader, files his candidacy for senator with the Comelec. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2021.
Championing environment action, Ballon says he seeks to strengthen climate change laws. @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/D8X2Y72RJ1
He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of a Nobel Prize, in 2021 after converting abandoned fish ponds into a 500-hectare mangrove forest without government backing.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation recognized Ballon for “his inspiring determination in leading his fellow fisherfolk to revive a dying fishing industry by creating a sustainable marine environment for this generation and generations to come, and his shining example of how everyday acts of heroism can truly be extraordinary and transformative.”