If election would be held today, Valenzuela City Congressman and Senatorial candidate Win Gatchalian will emerge as a winner and one of our new senators.
At least this is what the results of pre-election polls dictate as Gatchalian continues to solidify his position within the “Magic 12” on different surveys released just less than two months before the 2016 National Elections.
In no less than 11 pre-election senatorial surveys released this March by pollsters and college communities, Gatchalian, also known as “Kuya Win”, always finds himself placed within the winning circle of 2016 senatorial candidates.
In the Pulso ng Bayan Survey conducted by Pulse Asia on mid-February and released early March, Gatchalian placed within top 7-12, with a voting rate of 41.2 percent in the 1,800 total respondents, who are registered voters.
Gatchalian also managed to retain his position within the “Magic 12” in the latest ABS-CBN-commissioned survey by Pulse Asia released Mar. 15. He placed in the top 10-13, with 29.8 percent voting rate from the total of 4,000 respondents.
The lawmaker of Valenzuela City, meanwhile, ranked 10 with a voting rate of 46 percent in the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) mobile survey released Mar. 22.
Gatchalian, a member of Nationalist People’s Coalition, is also highly favored among students as he constantly ranks within the top five circle on surveys conducted in public and private universities.
Earlier this month, Gatchalian ranked 3rd in a mock elections conducted among students of local government-run University of Caloocan City (UCC).
He also came 5th with 41.4 percent voting rate in a mock poll among students in the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE).
Gatchalian was also included in the “Magic 12” of senatorial mock polls held in other universities, such as Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan (XU), and recently, Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Meanwhile, Gatchalian ranked 4th in another mock polls in the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) released on Mar. 14. He tallied a 50.78 percent voting percentage among respondents and had huge lead on the 5th placer re-electionist Senator Franklin Drilon, who had 42.32 voting percentage.
In a radio interview, Gatchalian credited his favorable rankings on pre-election surveys on the widening of voter’s awareness and his clear platform on education.
A Pulse Asia survey released Dec. 2015 showed that schooling or providing education to their children remains to be the second top-most concern (48%) of Filipino voters.
“With the presence of social media and other multimedia, mas tumatalino na ang mga botante. They begin to see beyond personality politics and now look at the achievements and analyze the platforms presented by each candidates,” Gatchalian said.
“At naniniwala ako na nakikita ng mga tao na tama at kapaki-pakinabang sa ating mga kababayan ang ating plataporma at mga adhikain sa edukasyon, lalo na ang libreng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo at pagkakaroon ng mas competitive na kurikulum sa bawat paaralan,” the senatorial bet noted.
Gatchalian is the primary author of House Bill No. 5905 or the “Free Higher Education Act”, which seeks to make tuition fee in all state universities and colleges (SUCs) free for aspiring college students.
He is also pushing for the establishment of a national feeding program and building at least one Math and Science High school in every province in the country, similar to what has been done in Valenzuela City during his mayoralty years. (Tim Alcantara)
