Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday thanked voters in the first district of Batangas for electing her son, Leandro Legarda Leviste, as their next congressman.

Leviste, 32, made history by securing the highest margin of victory against an incumbent House member in the country and garnering the most votes ever recorded for a congressional candidate in Batangas.

“Ako ay nasisiyahan dahil nagpasiya nang tama ang mga botante sa unang distrito ng Batangas dahil inihalal nila ang isang mabuting halimbawa ng pagpupursige sa buhay. Ang panalong ito ay hindi lamang kanya, ito ay tagumpay ng mga Batangueño,” said Senator Legarda in a statement.

("I am pleased because the voters of the first district of Batangas made the right decision in electing someone who is a good example of perseverance in life. This victory is not his alone; it is a triumph for the people of Batangas.")

Legarda said she personally witnessed her son's perseverance in both private enterprise and public service. “Nakita ko kung paano niya pinaghirapan upang matupad ang mga pangarap — sa pribadong sektor sa murang edad at ngayon, bilang isang lingkod-bayan,” she added.

("I saw how hard he worked to achieve his dreams — starting in the private sector at a young age and now, as a public servant.")

“Batid ko rin ang kanyang dedikasyon na iangat ang kabuhayan at kaunlaran ng pitong bayan at isang lungsod sa unang distrito,” Legarda said, referring to the towns of Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Balayan, Lemery, Taal, and the city of Calaca.

("I am also aware of his dedication to uplift the livelihood and development of the seven towns and one city in the first district.")

Leviste, the country’s youngest self-made billionaire, campaigned on a platform of economic upliftment for the district, widely seen as the most underdeveloped in Batangas. His supporters credit his large electoral margin to his track record as a successful entrepreneur.

“Sa aking buhay at sa aking negosyo, parang tumama po ako sa lotto, at naniniwala po ako na tungkulin ko pong ibahagi ang mga naipanalo ko sa ating mga kababayan,” Leviste said during his campaign.

("In my life and in my business, it feels like I won the lottery, and I believe it is my duty to share what I have gained with our fellow countrymen.")

“Ang pangarap ko po ay sa darating na dekada, ang mga bayan sa Unang Distrito ay maging mga modernong lungsod, at ang buong Unang Distrito ay maging isang metropolis na maaring mataguriang Metro Batangas,” he added.

("My dream is that in the coming decade, the towns in the First District will become modern cities, and the entire First District will become a metropolis that could be called Metro Batangas.")