As we drew closer to the final stage of the campaign, the emotions in every barangay we visited only grew stronger.
I thought I'd grown used to the hugs, applause, and cries of support, but today in Barangays Alfonso and Santiago, I fell silent once again at moments no words could ever truly repay.
Even before the vehicle came to a full stop, you could already feel the crowd waiting.
On every side of the road stood families holding flowers, banners, bottled water, chocolates, and cookies.
It felt like a fiesta, not of food and drink alone, but of emotion.
As soon as Mayor Andy stepped down, he was immediately greeted by an elderly woman in a wheelchair.
Though her movements were slow and labored, she had insisted on coming out of her house to personally give him a garland lei she made herself.
"Mayor... please stay true. You're the only leader I've never been ashamed to support," she said, her hands trembling.
Mayor knelt beside her, embraced her, and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, 'Nay. You're my strength," he replied, his eyes filled with deep respect.
As the house-to-house walk continued, one family came out to greet them with dinner, still warm, served on a tray, inviting Mayor and the entire group to stop and eat even just a little.
"This is all we can offer, Mayor... but we want you to feel welcome here. From then until now."
Another family handed him chocolates, cookies, and flowers, a simple gesture that left an indelible mark on the heart.
Behind their gate hung a handmade sign scrawled on cartolina:
"Ibalik ang Pula."
As night fell, the crowds along the roads didn't thin out in fact, they grew.
Teenagers waved from rooftops, elders handed over drinks, and it seemed like the love here was inexhaustible.
After Alfonso, we went straight to Barangay Santiago.
And as soon as we entered, a scene greeted us that I'll never forget.
An elderly woman, accompanied by SB Joey Baluyut, was rushing to meet Mayor.
"I chased after him... I came all the way from Calle Ines!" she gasped, out of breath. "I saw on Facebook Live that he was coming here... so I asked to be brought right away just to see my idol!"
I teared up at that moment.
That's how deep people's love ran.
Age, distance, exhaustion, none of it mattered, so long as they could see the man who was their light.
When Mayor saw her, he immediately walked over and hugged her.
No words, no cameras in front.
Just a quiet, solid moment of connection, not between politician and voter, but between two hearts joined by trust.
—
At the center of the stage in Santiago, as the sky darkened and the crowd's cheers rose louder, Mayor spoke again.
"All of Concepcion is here in my heart. Even if you don't choose me, you will always be the town I fought for and served."
The crowd responded in unison:
"IBALIK ANG PULA!"
In Alfonso, we also experienced our biggest crowd turnout.
There was barely room to pass.
Even on the way in, Mayor had to stop because the people were so tightly packed. He could hardly walk, everyone wanted to hug him, shake his hand, take a photo.
Children cried with excitement, elders were nearly speechless with joy.
When Mayor climbed the stage, the roar of the crowd was like waves crashing, waves of hope and trust.
"Alfonso, I will never forget you. Tonight isn't just the end of the campaign, it's a reminder of why we started it at all."
The crowd nodded.
Some were already crying. And at the close of his speech:
"If our town has wounds, you are the cure. And if there's still a fight we have to finish, you are the reason I will never stop."
As people slowly drifted away, you could feel a silence mingling with the joy.
Everywhere, flowers lay on the ground, and there were tears of victory that words couldn't explain.
Mayor Andy remained standing onstage, reaching for the hands of people who returned for a final farewell.
In every hug and handshake, he shared not just his love, but a firm promise.
"To every home, every heart, thank you. You are not alone," he said, his eyes shining like lights in the dark night.
As the stage lights faded and the cheers softened, the warmth of support remained, a flame that no storm could ever put out.
As we drove away, Mayor gazed up at the vast night sky, silently praying for guidance and strength in the days ahead.
And in everyone's heart, one prayer echoed:
"Bring back the Red... for a future full of hope and change."