MANILA, Philippines—There was no solid vote from the so-called “Solid North” for Noynoy Aquino when he ran for president in 2010, a sign of the Ilocos region’s enduring loyalty for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
But the votes did not reflect the sentiments of Ilocanos who believed in Noynoy as a leader who “advanced the interests of his people first.”
One of them is Diwa Donato, a political science graduate from Isabela province.
“Witnessing your governance was one of the things that shaped my principles at an early age,” said Donato in a Facebook post in Filipino.
“I will always carry your simple dreams for us—a nation where everyone has the capability to achiev…
Keep on reading: In so-called ’Solid North’, praise for Noynoy survives