If the warm welcome Vice President Noli ?Kabayan? de Castro received from the League of Cities of the Philippines yesterday meant anything, it might be a signal that he has earned the support of the majority of city executives and should now seriously consider offers for him to run for president in the 2010 elections.

Keynoting the second national convention attended by 120 city mayors nationwide, De Castro said the challenges facing the country dictate that the next president muster the support of local chief executives in the task of nation-building.

De Castro?s body language said it all, hopping from one table to another as city mayors crowded around him for photo opportunities.

De Castro, also chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and presidential adviser for Filipino workers overseas, urged the league?s hierarchy to avail of the massive housing programs earmarked for the low-income families in their respective areas.

?We have set aside more than P57 billion to accommodate low-income families, particularly for residents in the urban areas, at very low interest rates? said De Castro, who is the leading presidentiable in various political surveys.

He added that good national governance requires the genuine cooperation of local government units, particularly urban cities where the institution of basic programs for the mass-base of the people, among them housing and education, are necessary.

But all of this, he explained, must be rooted in democratic ideals, warning that corruption could derail all programs for the poor.

Amid a round of applause, De Castro said the poor and marginalized Filipino families must be the first to receive basic services.