MARIKINA CITY— Mayoral candidate and former Representative Stella Quimbo cast her vote on Monday morning at SSS Elementary School in Marikina. She arrived at 9:10 AM and completed the voting process at 11:30 AM, after experiencing three separate technical delays.
Quimbo waited patiently in line with other voters, many of whom endured the same long queues and ballot machine issues.
Speaking to the media after casting her vote, Quimbo opened up about the uphill nature of her campaign.
“Mahirap talaga ang kampanya para sa amin kasi kami ang challenger. Siyam na taon nang walang opposition dito sa Marikina, kaya hindi naging madali ang laban. Pero ang pinakamalaking challenge talaga ay ang fake news,” she said.
She shared that the campaign’s core strategy was direct grassroots engagement:
“Hindi sapat ang online. Kinailangan talaga naming kumausap ng tao, magbahay-bahay, makinig sa kanila. Yun ang mahirap pero yun din ang pinaka-matibay na paraan para maabot ang puso ng mga tao.”
When asked what keeps her grounded during such a high-stakes election, Quimbo answered with resolve:
“Kakampi namin ang katotohanan. Bahala na si Lord. Basta malinaw ang hangarin mo at totoo kang maglingkod, doon ka kakapit.”
She then laid out her top priorities for Marikina, if elected as mayor:
“Unang-una, baha. Pangalawa, trabaho at suporta sa negosyo, lalo na sa maliliit. Pero kailangan din nating hikayatin bumalik ang mga malalaking negosyo na umalis dahil sa baha. We need to make Marikina business-friendly again.”
“Dapat din tayong mag-invest sa human capital. Isa sa mga target natin ay ang paglipat sa single-shift system sa mga public schools para mas tumaas ang kalidad ng edukasyon. At siyempre, ayusin ang ating health system, kulang sa gamot, kulang sa gamit, at kulang sa doktor. Dapat maibalik ang basic health services.”
Quimbo, who is running under Team Bagong Marikina, is campaigning on a platform of performance, transparency, and inclusive public service, offering voters a clear and principled alternative for the city’s future. (
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