Former senator and senatorial candidate Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan received a boost to his 2025 campaign after several Batangas officials publicly endorsed his Senate comeback bid during his provincial visit on Thursday.

Lemery Mayor Ian Alilio, Batangas City Mayor Beverley Dimacuha, and 5th District Representative Marvey Mariño personally expressed their support for Pangilinan, citing his track record in agriculture and food security advocacy. Alilio raised Pangilinan’s hand and flashed the “Kiko” hand sign during a public event in Lemery.

“Magandang araw sa mga kababayan ko sa bayan ng Lemery. Kasama natin ngayon ang napakagaling na senator, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, na isa ko po sa sinasamahan sa mga senador na lumalaban ngayon sa panahon ng kampanyahan,” Alilio said.

(Good day to my fellow citizens here in Lemery. With us today is the very capable Senator Kiko Pangilinan, one of the senators I am supporting in this campaign season.)

During his visit, Pangilinan met with several other Batangas officials, including Nasugbu Mayor Tony Barcelon, Taal Mayor Pong Mercado, Agoncillo Mayor Cinderella Reyes and Vice Mayor Dan Reyes, and Alitagtag Mayor Dingdong Ponggos.

In each courtesy call, Pangilinan presented copies of the Sagip Saka Act, a law he authored in the Senate which allows local and national governments to directly procure agricultural products from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding. He explained how the law eliminates middlemen, enabling farmers to earn more through fair pricing.

Highlighting Batangas’ strong agricultural base, Pangilinan emphasized the law’s relevance to the province and called for its full implementation across the country. He also met with students at Lyceum of the Philippines-Batangas and held a dialogue with the Samahang Mandaragat ng Butong in Taal, where he laid out his legislative plans to support the fisherfolk sector.

Pangilinan placed second in Batangas province during the 2022 vice presidential race, securing broad support across the region.