*He vows to be a little more collaborative, listen to everyone and work with the people
Incumbent Senior Provincial Board Member Matthew Marcos Manotoc was officially proclaimed as the newly-elected governor of Ilocos Norte by the provincial board of canvassers during the proclamation rites held on May 14, 2019, at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall, Provincial Capitol in Laoag City.
Governor-elect Manotoc, the youngest son of outgoing Governor and incoming senator-elect Imee R. Marcos, was unopposed after his rival, Ilocos Norte First District Representative Rudy Fariñas, withdrew from the gubernatorial race on May 2.
Manotoc garnered 260,938 votes.
In a media interview shortly after the proclamation, Manotoc said his top priorities include healthcare centers noting that “many of our hospitals and medical services aren’t where they should be. Our public hospitals (must be well-equipped and self-sufficient) so they don’t need to lean much to the Provincial Government.”
Also rural electrification and irrigation, as well as continued delivery of the basic services in the province are important, he added.
“I think I am fortunate that Ilocos Norte more or less is a good place. It’s on me to continue the wave of development and hopefully further improve where my mother has built,” he added.
Others who won under Team Marcos are vice governor-elect Cecilia Araneta-Marcos who substituted her husband-vice gov bet, the late SP member Mariano Marcos II; outgoing Vice Gov. Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba as the new representative of Ilocos Norte’s 2nd district. He got 87,725 votes;
Elected Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Medeldorf Gaoat (2nd district) (76,045 votes, overall highest), Franklin Dante Respicio (73,943 votes), Saul Lazo (68,758 votes), Portia Salenda (66,709 votes), and Donald Nicolas (64,768 votes), all from the 1st district, and Domingo Ambrocio, Jr. (73,558 votes), Da Vinci Crisostomo (71,701 votes), and James Paul Nalupta (65,306 votes), all from the 2nd district.
Also, winners belonging to rival political parties are Ria Fariñas (106,780 votes) as first district congresswoman, and Rodolfo Christian Fariñas (75,737 votes) as 1st district SP member, and Aladine Santos (65,070 votes) as 2nd district SP member.
In a further press talk, Governor-elect Manotoc differentiated his leadership compared to that of his mom Governor Marcos: “I think my youth is the biggest factor. Nowadays, leadership is a little more collaborative. Maybe, that’s one difference. I’ll be a little more collaborative with my staff, try to listen to everyone, and work with the people.”
In the same breath, he expressed appreciation to his mother whom he described as a “very strong leader.” This kind of “strength,” the governor-elect said, can be useful in governance.
Manotoc also shared his campaign experience around the province saying he saw the peoples’ problems, the quality of life.
“The criticism is that I’m not an Ilocano, that I’ve not grown up here and I don’t speak the language, and both are true. But that doesn’t prevent me from being able to serve and from being able to govern well. My blood is Ilocano, my heritage is Ilocano and, most of all, my heart is Ilocano,” he explained.
He finally conveyed his gratitude to the Solid North and to the Ilocanos around the globe who continued to support the Marcos clan, starting from his grandfather, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, down to his present generation. (Blessing Angel V. Agliam, PGIN-CMO)
