Migs Nograles campaign: dancing and ‘ayuda’ talk
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 April) – Margarita Ignacia “Migs” Bendigo Nograles opens her campaign with a dance. No, she does not do somersaults – somebody does that – but she joins the dancers immediately after – does her number with a mascot and ends it with a question to the audience on who is the better dancer – Migs or her brother Karlo Alexei, who is running for mayor.
The 34-year old PBA party-list Representative is running for first district Representative, a post held by the Nograles family for 25 years – her father Prospero for 15 years – 1989 to 1992, 1995 to 1998, and 2001 to 2010 – and her brother Karlo for nine years (2010 to 2019) although Karlo resigned in late 2018 to join the Duterte administration as Cabinet Secretary. Another brother, Jericho Jonas, was PBA party-list Representative for two terms – 2016 to 2022.
Migs got married late last year to Cheeno Almario, who is seeking reelection as Representative of the second district of Davao Oriental.
The late Prospero Nograles served as the first Mindanawon Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010. Rodrigo Duterte, his political nemesis, was elected as the first Mindanawon President in 2016.
In the early days of her campaign, Migs was heavily criticized when a video of her talking about “ayuda” (assistance) and why people should vote for her, went viral.
Nograles was bashed online for what she referred to as “realidad” (reality).
“Kini ang realidad nato. Pag di ta makabalik sa Congress, pag mawala nang Nograles sa Congress, magsarado na ang opisina nato. Kung magsarado na ang opisina nato, wala na tang assistance mahatag sa mga tao (This is our reality. If we cannot return to Congress, if Nograles is no longer in Congress, our office will close. If our office closes, we can no longer give assistance to the people) and she cited the following: “medical assistance, financial assistance, burial assistance, TESDA skills training, ChEd scholarship, livelihood programs, medical missions, jobs fair, sports fest.”
All these programs she said, will end when the office closes, if Nograles is no longer in Congress.
If voters elect the same representative, apparently referring to Paolo Duterte, and her office is closed because she could not return to Congress, “wala na mo maduulan. Kana ang realidad nato” (you have no one to run to. That is our reality).
She said residents do not feel that now because she is still around but if she’s gone, “kaluoy sa mga tao, gibiyaan na baya mo, wala na gani sya diri sa Dabaw, nagsarado opisina, nasa abroad na, ambot kung asa” (pity the people, you were left behind, he is not even in Davao, his office is closed, he is abroad, I don’t know where), she said, referring to Paolo who is presently in The Hague to visit his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
She said the district needs a Representative who is “always present, dili mag-absent (not absent), maminaw sa mga tao, og kinahanglan pud abtik sa tanan na ganap” (who will listen to the people, and should always be active in any aspect).
Reacting to Migs’ campaign pitch, netizens expressed disappointment over her equation of “no Nograles in Congress means no “ayuda.”
Even Dabawenyos overseas reacted. Omar Bantayan, a Dabawenyo now residing in the United States wrote: “Mangutana lang unta ko kung nidagan ba ni si Migs Nograles isip congresswoman o nangapply ni nga staff sa DSWD? Dili man na nila kwarta nang ayuda-ayuda. Kwarta man na sa katawhan nga gihimong legalized vote buying, preying on the Filipino value of ‘utang kabubut-on.’Putragis nga patronage politics” (I would like to ask if Migs Nograles is running for congresswoman or applying as staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Development). The money for ayuda is not their money. This is taxpayers’ money turned into legalized vote-buying, preying on the Filipino value of debt of gratitude. Damn patronage politics.”
He said he would like to see Migs in a debate with Maria Victoria “Mags” Maglana, who is also running for the 1st congressional district against Paolo Duterte, who is seeking a third term. Two others are running for the same post – Pastor Janeth Jabines (Ind) and businessman Rex Labis. Nograles and Maglana are also running as Independent candidates but the Nograles siblings are believed backed by the Marcos administration, particularly Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Two-year accomplishment report
Migs stressed that since 2022, her office has helped so many people.
In her campaign flyers, she lists under her two-year accomplishment report (July 2022 to January 2025) various numbers: 93,790 AKAP and Tupad beneficiaries; 70,167 medical and financial assistance beneficiaries; 30,282 food packs distributed; 7,176 Oplan Kalusugan patients and Oplan Konsultang Legal clients; 4,833 Pag-alagad sa Barangay ni Atty. Migs Caravan beneficiaries; 3,834 TESDA scholars; 857 job fair applicants; 125 tents (donated); 3,034 Oplan Kaalam scholars; 762 sports equipment and wheelchair beneficiaries; and 1,000 school supplies distributed.
It is not indicated if the numbers cited are for Davao City only or nationwide as the party-list serves constituents nationwide.
Nograles’ numbers related to legislation are: 21 committees (5 Vice Chairmanship), 67 resolutions filed; 51 co-authored bills; 259 principally authored bills; and 13 bills signed into law.
A family of representatives
At the rally last Tuesday (April 22) in the gymnasium of the Royal Valley Subdivision where the Duterte patriarch used to live, Migs no longer mentioned the “no Nograles, no ayuda” message.
But she still spoke of “ayuda” and how her family has been helping residents while serving as Representative of the first district. She talked about the covered courts, gyms, classrooms, scholarships, sports festivities, livelihood, etc. that her father and brother made possible.
“Nabuhat na nila sa una kay sila ang congressman nato sa Distrito Uno. O, so kung nabuhat na ni Karlo Nograles, nabuhat na ni Boy Nograles, pag kita na ang mahimong Congressman sa Distrito Uno, labwan nato ang gibuhat ni Boy Nograles, ni Karlo Nograles. Doblehin na nato tanan. Doblehin na ang scholarship, doblehin ang mga medical missions. Doblehin ang mga jobs fair…” (They did that before because they were congressmen of District 1. So if Karlo Nograles did it, Boy Nograles did it, when I become Congressman of District 1, we will surpass what Boy Nograles nad Karlo Nograles did. We will double everything. Let’s double scholarship, double medical missions, jobs fairs…)
Migs’ brother Karlo, had just left the gym when MindaNews arrived just as the candidate for Vice Mayor, Bernard Al-ag, started speaking. Migs spoke after Al-ag.
She spelled out MIGS in Cebuano as Modernisado, Imprastraktura, Garantisadong Pagdumala, Serbisyong Matinuod-anon (Modern, Infrastructure, Guaranteed Management, True Service), reasons why voters should choose her as Representative. She listed five for 2025 as digitalized access to public service; modern infrastructure; opportunities for work, skill trainings, livelihood programs and educational scholarships; enhanced sports and culture; and continued access of national services at the local level. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
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