What makes a person a public servant? Is it the urge to help others? Is it the experience in making things especially other people’s lives better? Or is it the grit of being empathetic to the people around you? The answer is all of them. You cannot be a public servant with just one of those. Maybe that’s why it’s not cut out for everybody. But the people of Pandacan, Manila saw those qualities in one Sam Verzosa.

As his pre-birthday celebration, entrepreneur and Tutok to Win Partylist representative Sam Verzosa decided to give back to the people in the city he grew up with. Being a politician made him realize more of his purpose in life. People turning to him for help and people turn to him for a better life.

“Hindi naman siya celebration or birthday party, normal na pagtulong na matagal na nating ginagawa. Mahigit sampung taon na tayong tumutulong magmula Frontrow Cares, s Miss Universe organization, sa Batang Sampaloc Foundation, tinutuloy-tuloy lang natin. Kapag may sakuna, kapag may binabaha, nanjan ang Dear SV, ang programa natin hindi lang sa Manila, kundi sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao. Pero siyempre, hindi ko makakalimutan ang mga kababayan ko dito sa Manila,” shares Sam Verzosa during his program for Pandacan, Manila.

During his program in Pandacan, Manila, people started calling him “Mayor” SV (Sam Verzosa), is it a confirmation of his run as Mayor of the City of Manila?

“Wala pa naman confirmation pero kasi ngayon, nasa posisyon naman tayo, nasa kongreso, Tutok To Win Partylist pa din tayo, may Frontrow Cares tayo, may Dear SV tayo, halos lahat ng ginagawa ‘kong pagtulong sa kapwa natin, wala naman pinipiling lugar pero siyempre mga kababayan ko sila, taga-Maynila ako, humihingi sila ng tulong, ayuda, libreng gamot, kaya dinadala natin ang serbisyo sa kanila katulad ng SV Mobile Clinic natin, SV Mobile Botika.”

For someone who grew up in Manila, what changes does he want to see in his city?

“Ako, ang gusto ko, ‘yung matulungan nila ang sarili nila. Gaya ng kwento ko, gusto kong mangyari sa kanila ang nangyari sa akin, maging matagumpay din sila. Kaya ang binibigay namin maliban sa ayuda ay mga negosyo, pangkabuhayan. Isa akong negosyante, naniniwala akong para maiangat mo ang sarili mo, kailangang pangmatagalan ang matatanggap nila. ‘Yun ang ginagawa natin, pangmatagalang solusyon, pangmatalgang tulong sa mga kababayan natin para matulungan nila ang sarili nila.”

For more about his projects, you can follow Sam Verzosa on his social media accounts.