Talim Island: Campaigning in Binangonan with Leni Volunteers

Last month, we visited Binangonan to enjoy a meal at ArtSector Gallery Cafe (see my blog post here) and from our mountain vantage point, we could see the many fish pens in Laguna Lake below. I wondered then, what the view would be like at ground level - and I didn't have to wait long for a chance to find out. When I received a call for campaign volunteers to go to Talim island, I immediately said yes! 

As a volunteer/surrogate speaker for my aunt, Sen. Leila De Lima, who is seeking re-election as senator this coming May elections, I get the opportunity to join campaign trips to deliver speeches on her behalf, in places I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to visit. Talim island is one such place.  There was a coordinator's meeting for the Leni campaign and a caucus participated in by 13 (out of the 17) barangays on the Binangonan side of the island, and I got to join the boat ride of Leni volunteers and organizers.

I knew I would give up almost my entire Sunday for it.  I was picked up at my house at 7 am for a meet up with a focal person in Atnipolo, then we drove another hour to Pritil Port in Binangonan where we met up with volunteer/organizers from the Binangonan chapter. And when everyone was assembled, we boarded a boat and rode towards the island using a small motorboat to be there before out 11am appointment.  We spent 2 hours in the island, and got back to Pritil Port past 1 pm, then we retraced our route back to Antipolo (to drop by the local Leni HQ), that took another hour.  Then I was finally headed back home to Pasig. I walked through by door a little before 4pm. I spent over 8 hours, like a full day at work, to get the chance to deliver a 5-minute speech. There's no denying that Talim island is the kind of place you have to make time for - kailangan sadyain.

It reminded me of the word "laylayan" or fringes, a key concept in the governance philosophy of Leni Robredo. Talim island is as fringe as it gets.  Far from the city center, or far from power,  the laylayan often gets overlooked. But  VP Leni through her Angat Buhay initiative brought a lot of livelihood projects to people's organizations in the island.  She provided sewing machines (and orders - such as for making PPE's early in the pandemic -  to put those machines to use), solar panels, and sari-sari stores as well as a swab cab for Covid testing at the height of the pandemic. Many pink parols bought by Leni supporters were also made on the island.  I thought, that because of these initiatives, we will be venturing into pro-Leni territory - but that was not the case. Talim island is not overwhelmingly pink, we spoke to a crowd of mixed persuasions and there's a lot more campaigning for the Leni camp to do to convert more voters. 

It reminded me of the word "suyurin", or going through strands with a fine-toothed comb.  That's the task at hand for many coordinators and campaign volunteers - to go person-by-person, house-by-house, barangay-by-barangay, village-by-village, island-by-island - and we have oh, so many! Weekends are precious, but I try to devote/make/find time to volunteer as best as I can so I can. There are many more places to visit. 

Leaving Talim island I was struck by one scene, a moment I caught in a pic, of bamboo poles and fishpens, and a view of the skyline behind it... are these the skyscrapers of Taguig, Makati, Pasay, or Pasig?... all four cities are places I resided in.  From the boat, it didn't look like Metro Manila was too far away - and yet, it feels like a world away. How did Talim island get to be so remote this close to the capital? How did the great Laguna Lake become this backwater? 

How can this place, like other places in the fringes stop being backwaters?  Of all the presidential aspirants, one actually came to Talim island not just to distribute donations to individuals as dole-outs, but to encourage them to form people's organizations - so livelihood materials can be donated to and managed by a collective! I laud this approach! It shows VP Leni's empowering strategy. And I respect how work was done long before campaign period began! Talim island is not a vote-rich area. There are really so few registered voters here. Someone concerned only with winning would not go out of their way to come here. It takes someone with an inclusive zeal, someone committed to the "laylayan" to invest time and effort to come here.  

I was tired the day I joined the Leni volunteers for this one event - and all I did was deliver a speech - while VP Leni did so much more - brought sewing machines, coordinated the making of PPE's, went house-to-house and spoke at length to the island's people (See VP Leni in Talim Island). Beyond the creative pink fun that makes her campaign feel like an energizing fiesta, there's serious and sustained back-breaking work to reach the backwaters... her words are backed by work she has done on the ground, and that is why joining the corps of volunteers for her campaign is worthwhile and fulfilling. 

For more thoughts on Talim island see Howie Severino's i-Witness documentary (Talim island video footage starts around the 12th minute).

Date of visit: 20 Feb, 2022