Mindanao youth backs Loren

April 29, 2010

THE MINDANAO CHAPTER OF THE NATIONWIDE TROPANG LOREN YOUTH MOVEMENT TODAY EXPRESSED ITS SUPPORT FOR NP-NPC-LDP VICE PRESIDENTIAL BET SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA BECAUSE OF HER EFFORTS IN BRINGING PEACE AND PROGRESS IN MINDANAO.
“Of the vice-presidentiables, Loren is the only candidate who has supported progress in Mindanao and who really cares for its people,” said Nova Jane Lacbao, President of Tropang Loren-Mindanao and student of Western Mindanao State University.
According to Nova Jane, “the youth has been longing for a brand of leadership that will guide the country towards development while protecting our welfare. And we found that in Loren Legarda. She is the only candidate who has actually taken action towards protecting and conserving the environment.”
“We are thankful to Loren for the laws she has authored for Mindanao. Thanks to her, Eidl Fitr is now recognized as a national holiday. We now have the Mindanao Economic Development Authority or MEDA. And she’s also supporting our rubber industry with her bill that provides R&D on rubber,” said Nova.
Nova also said that Loren’s efforts in negotiating with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) is also a plus point that made their youth group consider her as VP. “We need a vice president who is willing to end the war in Mindanao for good, someone who knows that peace and progress come hand in hand.”
Nova confessed that Loren has been her “idol” since her broadcast journalist days. “Loren covered Mindanao stories when no else did. That’s a big thing for us.”
Loren has been bestowed the title of Bai a Labi or honorary Muslim Princess for extensively covering news stories about Mindanao when she was a broadcast journalist.
She has co-authored the law making Eidl Fitr a holiday, and the law creating the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA) a permanent body that will integrate and harmonize all peace and development efforts in Mindanao, and allow it to catch up to mainstream national development. Loren has also filed a bill supporting Mindanao’s rubber industry, one of the main employment-generating industries in the region. It provides for R&D programs that improve the quality and increase the productivity of rubber for the benefit of smallholder rubber producers and processors.