CONCEPCION, Tarlac--Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III kicked off his presidential bid Tuesday, the start of the official campaign period, here at the hometown of his father and namesake, the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

Although Concepcion is a small town of only 69,206 voters, Aquino said he chose it for its significance in his and his father's political lives. In a speech at the public market, he recalled that it was there that he first joined his father in a public speaking engagement.

“Nanginginig pa ho ang tuhod ko. Sixteen years old ako noon,” Aquino told them.

But the town, where the Aquinos’ ancestral home is located, is not 100% for Aquino. Concepcion's re-electionist mayor, Noel Villanueva, has allied himself with his Aquino’s closest rival, Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party.

Aquino is confident, however, that nobody can beat him in Concepcion.

He said of the mayor: “Naobliga na po sya. Pero sa puso nya, palagay ko, ako pa rin ang iboboto nya sa huli.” The Liberal Party (LP) has fielded its own mayoralty candidate, Jose Romulo Castro. He is an incumbent provincial board member.

A banner welcoming Aquino and the LP candidates was hanging outside the municipal hall.

The streets, houses, public buildings, and the residents were shining with yellow streamers, posters, and shirts--the color of Aquino's campaign. Among other national personalities in his slate, residents screamed the loudest for Aquino.

“Dehadong dehado ang kalaban dito,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Aquinos’ ancestral home.

Former Congressman Hermie Aquino estimated that at least 75% of Concepcion’s voters will go for his grand nephew.

“Meron din silang makukuha. Pero landslide si Noynoy dito. Mahirap mangampanya against him,” said Hermie.

Concepcion is in the 3rd district of Tarlac, where Aquino's paternal relatives, including incumbent Jesli Aquino Lapus, have served as congressmen in the past 3 decades. Aquino, on the other hand, served as congressman of the second district for 9 years.

A member of the LP local chapter, Rolando Feliciano, assured that Concepcion will be solid for Aquino.

“Ewan ko lang kung dumating dito [si Villar], baka walang pumuntang tao,” Feliciano said.

Last week, presidential candidate Joseph Estrada came to Concepcion. Feliciano said the former president was not received so well.

Splitting Tarlac
For province's vote, Aquino will be fighting his second cousin, Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, the administration's candidate.

Like Aquino, Teodoro served as congressman from 1998 to 2007. He represented the first district, which his wife Nikki is now serving.

But Hermie is convinced that Aquino will get more votes than Teodoro in Tarlac. “Gibo will be a far second. Noynoy will get at least 60% of Tarlac.”

Hermie believes that the dispute between Teodoro and his uncle, Danding Cojuangco, will work against the administration candidate.

Tarlac has a voting population of 633,415 as of March 2009. In 2007, Aquino topped the province's senatorial elections with 309,705 votes. It was the only province that he topped in 2007.

In the province, Aquino's LP has no candidate for governor and for congressman and board members in the first district, according to the official list of candidates from the Commission on Elections' regional office in Central Luzon. LP has fielded candidates in all other local posts, however.