Leni Robredo to dispose tokens and gifts given by supporters during campaign

By Edward Era Barbacena

What can Leni Robredo do with the thousands of gifts she received from her supporters in the past seven months as she went around more than 80 provinces all over the country? She said on Thursday, May 12, that she is mulling to put up a ‘pink museum’ and auction off some items to fund her Angat Buhay projects.

The planned museum will be in Naga and Manila once she has sorted the gifts given to her throughout the campaign trail and raised enough funds for it.

However, she also highlighted the need to put to “good use” these gifts and continue with her poverty alleviation programs, the core of her platform of governance if she had won the 2022 presidential elections.

“Iba siguro ‘yun bigay, ‘yun iba (We will give away some items, some we can) auction to raise funds for our (Angat Buhay) projects so pag-uusapan siguro (let’s talk about it) by tomorrow sa ating pasasalamat, pag-usapan natin kung papaano natin mapu-put (in our thanksgiving, let’s talk about how we can put) to good use iyong mga bigay ninyo kasi ang sakit sa loob (what you gave because it’s hard) to part with all of these,” she said.

The Vice President will host a thanksgiving rally tomorrow in Quezon City for her volunteers and supporters as rival former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds a massive 16 million lead in the presidential polls.

Noting that nothing was wasted because it was the “happiest campaign,” Robredo told some 170,000 viewers of her Facebook Live that she will ask authority from those who gave the items if she could share the gifts with her volunteers.

But she also said she’ll be keeping some items in her home “for posterity” though she only has a small space in their borrowed condominium unit in Quezon City and their home in Naga.

“Ayoko kasi siya sarilihin kasi ang feeling ko hindi ko naman ito personal (I don’t want to keep them to myself because my feeling is these are not personal),” Robredo shared.

“Ano ito parang expression talaga siya ng pakiramdam na sobrang dami taong sumama sa labang ito. Gusto kong magpasalamat (This is an expression of feeling that many people joined this battle. I want to give thanks),” she added.

The lady official thanked celebrity supporters who endorsed her because they had to risk their careers.

“Thank you sa inyo, iyong lahat na tinaya ang pangalan, karera, para ipaglaban ang ating bayan, sobrang saludo ako sa inyo (to you, all those who risked their names, careers, to fight for the country, I salute you all),” Robredo said.

Some of these celebrities were tuned in to the livestream of Robredo on Facebook. They are actress Angel Locsin, Rivermaya drummer Mark Escueta, singer-composer Ogie Alcasid, comedian Ogie Diaz, and Ben&Ben band.

She asked them to continue partnering with her in helping others.

Among the many gifts she has received are hand-painted bags, masks, vitamins, lamps, make-up, headband, hair scrunchies, earrings, and necklaces.