Tags: Elections, General News, Politics
By Alexander Villafania
MANILA, METRO MANILA — With the official campaign season already underway, presidential candidates are doing all the necessary — sometimes profuse — steps to get the voting public’s interest. But presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva and his political party Bangon Pilipinas did one gimick that literally covered the competition.
On February 9, Villanueva and thousands of supporters unfurled the country’s largest national flag — a whopping 180 meters by 92 meters continuous piece of taffeta nylon that can easily cover at least 2 hectares. The flag was big enough to cover over 90 percent of the Quirino Grandstand open grounds. It also weighs nearly 4 tons and is said to cost P10 million to make.
This was the same flag that was unfurled in Baguio City during the 2008 Philippine Independence Day celebrations. It was designed by businesswoman Grace Galindez Gupana, the founder of of ABS Gen Herbs International Group, who is incidentally the same person who designed and created the gigantic flag of Israel in 2007.
The Israeli flag, which is the current record holder for the world’s largest flag, is 287.45 meters by 151 meters, nearly double that of the giant Philippine flag.
Villanueva said that the early morning unfurling of the giant flag at the Quirino Grandstand symbolized their vision of a new Philippines, as well as the first steps to making that vision a reality. Quirino Grandstand is within “kilometer zero” that starts at the monument of National Hero Jose Rizal.
He also said the flag aimed at stirring up national pride among Filipinos.
Villanueva was accompanied by his running mate, former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Perfecto Yasay, Jr, as well as their senatorial lineup. These include Zarfulah Alonto , Reynaldo Princesa, Ramoncito Ocampo, Kata Inocencio, Adz “Count Habib” Nikabulin, Alex Tinsay and Israel Virgines.
Despite trailing behind in the surveys for presidential bets, Villanueva stressed that people should not be swayed by surveys. Villanueva, who ran for presidency the first time in 2004, claimed that he was cheated in the “Hello, Garci” scandal by President Gloria Arroyo, who alleged to have connived with former Commission on Election officer Virgilio Garcillano.
Villanueva is one of the three presidential candidates that had less than five percent voter rating survey in the most recent Pulse Asia report. This was reflected also in a similar report by the Social Weather Stations.
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