Cabanatuan City: Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo cancelled her visit to Nueva Ecija on Monday afternoon due to heat exhaustion.
Robredo was in Baler, Aurora on Monday morning where she spoke at an event to celebrate International Women’s Month.
“The Vice President cancelled her scheduled visit to Cabanatuan after a mild case of heat exhaustion during an event in Baler, Aurora this morning,” Paulo Espiritu of the Office of the Vice President’s Media Office said. “She is fully recovered but has been advised to rest for the remainder of the afternoon,” Espiritu added.
Robredo was to visit a badjao and tagalog village to turnover 10 water pumps donated by Solanaland, a partner of the Office of the Vice President’s Angat Buhay program.
Rep. Ria Vergara of Nueva Ecija, a former colleague and a friend of Robredo, assured the community that the Vice President will reschedule her visit.
Resident Nurayza Abraham however did not have ill-feelings over the Vice President’s absence.
“We understand because if we had a sudden ailment, we would have done the same,” Abraham, one of the parent leaders in the community, said.
“This is a big help for us because two water pumps are not enough. With just two water pumps, children have to take turns in taking baths. They have to wait for their turn for a while, and that time won’t be enough for them to get ready in time for school. Others even decide to not go to school since they were not able to take a bath,” Abraham said in Filipino.
Regional Director Perla Villanueva of the Department of Social Welfare and Development shared Abraham’s sentiments.
“These pumps are really a big help because people won’t have to endure long lines anymore,” Villanueva said.
