Partido Reporma standard-bearer Ping Lacson and running mate Senate President Tito Sotto were left impressed by how Sorsogon turned itself into an ISO-certified province when they visited it last Thursday, which inspired them to replicate its success story into other provinces nationwide.
Lacson and Sotto ended their Quezon Province to Bicol region campaign leg this week in Sorsogon City where they held a meeting with the local government officials and their constituents led by their personal friend and political ally Governor Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.
“Amazing Sorsogon! What Governor Chiz Escudero and his team have accomplished in just 3 years can easily surpass several others who have served in their provinces for at least 3 terms. Tito and I saw it for ourselves yesterday,” Lacson tweeted Friday morning.
Escudero is making a return to the Senate in the 2022 elections. He is also part of the senatorial line up of Lacson and Sotto. In a press conference held at the Sorsogon provincial capitol yesterday, the presidential duo had nothing but praise for how Escudero led his province over the last three years.
“ISO-certified ‘yung probinsya, seven municipalities plus the province, ISO rin. And ‘yung police provincial office, best provincial office ng PNP. So, ano pa ‘yung masasabi natin? Talagang success story, ika nga. And sabi ko nga, a lot (of it) has to do with leadership,” Lacson said.
ISO stands for International Standardization Organization, an independent, non-government organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that brings together experts from all over the world to develop international standards.
Receiving an ISO certification means that the management system of a particular organization or government—from the delivery of services to the public and documentation procedures—meets all the requirements for standardization and quality assurance.
“Napakaimportante ng liderato, ‘yung leadership kapag nag-ma-manage ng isang probinsiya, isang bayan, isang barangay, at sabihin na nating buong Pilipinas (Leadership is very important when you are managing a province, a town, a village or shall we say even the entire Philippines),” noted Lacson.
Escudero and Sotto are partymates in the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is the dominant political party in Sorsogon. Lacson said he is confident he would get the support of the province on his and Sotto’s respective electoral bids with the help of Escudero.
“No doubt. Ang masasabi ko lang, alam niyo ba kung sino ang driver ko papunta rito? Si (All I can say is, did you know who drove me here today?) Governor Escudero,” Lacson told reporters who asked if they could rely on the provincial leader and his constituents to rally behind them.
“NPC country ito (Sorsogon) at saka obvious na obvious sa kilos na, ika nga, (ang) Lacson-Sotto ay malapit na malapit sa puso ng mga taga-Sorsogon dahil sa kanilang mga liderato,” his running mate Sotto added.
[This (Sorsogon) is an NPC country and I think it is really obvious that the Lacson-Sotto tandem is very close to the hearts of the people of Sorsogon because of their leadership.]
Sotto, who chairs the NPC, also mentioned he is confident that his political party will support his tandem with Lacson. He said the NPC will be meeting its district and regional leaders this Monday (March 7) to discuss this matter.
