“I want to help Pangasinenses” - Mark

BAYAMBANG – Although an heir of a tycoon where he and his descendants need not work anymore for a living, former congressman Marcos Bruno “Mark” Cojuangco said he wants to help Pangasinenses and as an alternative for the governorship race.

Marcos Bruno "Mark" Cojuangco

“Who is Mark Cojuangco? Why he wants to run for the governorship? I’m an heir of a rich man and my grandchildren and their grandchildren do not have to work because of the tremendous wealth we are going to inherit. As I grow old I want to help the people of Pangasinan, “declared recently here by Cojuangco before the thousands of participants in the Farmers’ Day celebration.

Cojuangco is the scion of Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco who once headed and catapulted the food, power, and beverage San Miguel Corporation  as the top multi-billion of pesos business conglomerate in the country and in South East Asia.

In that March 30 affairs, Cojuangco was accompanied at the Pangasinan State University by Abono Party-list Rosendo So, Region -1 Director Renato Maguigad of the Department of Agriculture, this town mayor Ricardo Camacho, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan (town council).

Under the blistering summer sun, he exhorted the farmers that incase he becomes the chief executive of the province he will see to it that the 5% of the palay and corn harvest that go to waste would be saved through a technology that would benefit the farmers.

He cited that he and his wife incumbent congresswoman Kimi Cojuangco (5th Congressional District, Pangasinan) introduced the post harvest technology in Villasis town, and will have one next year in Alcala town where a huge dryer is being constructed. Alcala and Villasis are part of the district of Rep. Cojuangco.

“Because the palay harvest of the farmers rises, the price of the staple spikes too. Rice millers earned from us because our produce do no have black contents. I hope we can do these programs in the whole province”.

He cited too a travelling irrigator that was piloted in the district’s Laoac town.  

“Here in Bayambang there are 5,700 hectares of lands without irrigation. 5% of these are 285 hectares divided by 77 villages equal 3.7 hectares for each of them”.

But he stressed that he wants to see every village exploits up to 10 hectares as recipients of the mobile irrigator.

“I’m a three-term congressman from years 2001 to 2010. Then my wife becomes a two-term solon. In her last election victory she got 92% of the votes in our district. It only shows we are doing the right things in our district”.

The reason, he said, why he announced this early his moist eye for the governorship because he wants Pangasinenses to know him well as he barnstorms the 44 towns and three cities’ province with his advocacy.

In February 10 Cojuangco declared his gubernatorial bid to media men in Lingayen after the State of the Province address of graduating Governor Amado T. Espino.

“We all have to work (to get) the people’s confidence. That’s what I intend to do in the next two years when I will go around the province. I will talk with the people to find out what are their hope and dreams, so I can make a plan,” he said.