Some residents in Mindanao are expressing dissatisfaction over what they perceive as government neglect, with the sentiment also shaped by political preferences and economic concerns.

In an interview, veteran journalist and DAILY TRIBUNE columnist Serafin Ledesma said support for Vice President Sara Duterte in the Visayas and Mindanao is tied to expectations of continued development and greater government attention under a leader associated with the Duterte political family.

“It’s not just because of the popularity of VP Sara,” Ledesma said. “She became extremely popular in the Visayas and Mindanao because people felt that under another Duterte leadership, these regions would finally get a fair share of the national budget.”

He pointed to infrastructure projects during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including bridges and airport upgrades in Mindanao and the Visayas, as reasons many residents continue to support the vice president.

Ledesma said economic difficulties, particularly among farmers, have also contributed to dissatisfaction with national policies. He criticized the reduction of rice import tariffs from 35% to 15% and continued rice imports, saying these measures have hurt local producers.

“It may sound good to sell imported rice cheaply, but you are slowly strangling and killing our farmers,” he said in Filipino. “Instead of subsidizing imported rice, why not use the subsidy to buy newly harvested palay from Filipino farmers?”

He said rice prices tend to fall during harvest season, leaving farmers unable to recover production costs, while consumers still face higher prices during off-harvest periods.

Asked about the broader mood in Mindanao, Ledesma said many residents feel disappointed with the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“The situation speaks for itself, as well as the data. This is purely government neglect,” he said. “We were hoping President Marcos would do something great to redeem the Marcos name, but the opposite happened. People in Mindanao and the Visayas feel deceived.”