Weeks after former senator Bam Aquino urged Vice President Leni Robredo’s supporters to help launch a “true people’s campaign” for May 2022, volunteers — aka “Kakampinks”— took to the streets to showcase their support.
It seems that the message was heard loud and clear—Facebook user Ines Bautista-Yao shared a post about an ice cream vendor in her Quezon City neighborhood selling ice cream in pink cups. And if the cups were not obvious enough, manong sorbetero also plastered a campaign sticker on his cart for good measure.
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“My sister discovered the ice cream seller outside my house with all his pink cups for Leni,” Ines’ post read. “He told her he’s campaigning for her because he wants a change, he’s tired of the corruption and we need someone who is not corrupt!”
“My sister was in my house with my kids on Sunday because I wasn’t home,” Ines told Coconuts, adding that she only found out about the ice cream vendor when her sister, Martina Bautista-Josue, sent the photo to her family’s Viber group. “She said, ‘The ice cream guy outside Manang’s house only sells pink cups. All for Leni, [he said, for a change.] No more corrupt officials!'”
Ines shared that her sister Martina had a chat with the ice cream vendor, who voted for Robredo in the 2016 polls, and shared that he wanted to help show his support in his own way.
“He told (Martina) that without change, small businesses like his continue to suffer,” Ines said. “So he’s doing what he can with what he has.”
Ines said that she was inspired by the vendor’s determination to make a difference. “Seeing the ice cream vendor do something like this, change all his cups to pink and display a Leni sticker on his cart just shows how people really want to help with her campaign,” she said. “And people are willing to do what they can to turn the fate of our country around.”
According to Ines, the vendor’s gesture proved that the desire for change went beyond their echo chamber. “Kuya ice cream vendor shows us that it doesn’t matter how small an act it is, we just have to do something,” Ines added. “Our small acts of support will multiply and grow.”
Although Ines has yet to meet her neighborhood’s ice cream vendor, she plans to cross paths with him soon. “I’m definitely going to listen for his ice cream bell. My cousin is going to send me a tarp and other materials to give him! And my mom wants to buy a whole gallon of ice cream.”
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