bsaiii policy pronouncements 10-31-09

8/14/2019 BSAIII Policy Pronouncements 10-31-09

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SBSA III POLICY PRONOUNCEMENTS(based on Transcripts from different public engagements)

I. Economy

If we simply reduce our people into merely surviving on a day-to-day basis, we keep them enslaved to the culture ofpatronage to which they have been completely dependent uponall these years. It is also possible to speak about deepening andgiving substance to our democratic gains in the 80s only if wehave satisfied the basic requirements for our people to survivehumanely and decently. (PCIJ Forum)

What we would like them to see, for instance in the question ofwages for our labor, I would like the business community to alsosee that there is a suppression of the market potentials andhence the limit of their growth. Im not sure now if it was Time orNewsweek that had a cover story of Asias richest family andwhat is striking is the taipan in Hong Kong is richer by ahundred fold than the biggest taipan in this country, for a statethat is smaller, that has not the resources of the country. Why isthat so? There will be mechanisms whereby that will beenforced. For instance I have already filed bills both when I wasin the House and now in the Senate that mandates anautomatic profit sharing scheme once profits are increased. Andthe auditing entity will be chosen by the labor sector. (PCIJForum)

Our system of governance dictates that our industrial, ourbusiness sector has a mid-term goal. Hence, there seems to bea change within every administration of policy directions. One ofour hindrances to our growth in the economy is the lack of

stable policies whereby investors believe there is an added riskwhen investing in the Philippines.

The idea of (this administrations) economic success isdebatable. We have not been badly affected by the GlobalFinancial Crisis because our economy is not that much involvedwith the global economy. (Wall Street Journal)

Our deficit has been constantly revised. (Wall Street Journal)


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The Attrition Law is a very good law wherein when personnel [ofrevenue generating entities] meet the revenue collection goalsthey are given a reward. If they surpass the goals, then they aregiven a bigger reward. Conversely, when they do not get to

meet the goals, they are reprimanded, they are given a warningand eventually they can get terminated form the service for nothaving met the goal. (Wall Street Journal)

Will I ask the country to run a marathon when you haventexactly ascertained that you have an athlete that can competein that marathon. (Wall Street Journal)

On Agriculture

We were supposed to support a program called the hybrid rice,which would have doubled to quadruple the income of ourfarmers, if it had been implemented properly. (Wall StreetJournal)

Harvest time normally would produce a surplus. That (2008harvest) was the first time we had an increase in rice prices atthe time of harvest. Conversely, there was a decrease in riceprices at the point in time the stocks were dwindling inexpectation of the next harvest. Somehow, thisadministration found a way to repeal the laws of supplyand demand. (Wall Street Journal)

Napakaliit ng intervention ng NFA doon sa mercado. Hindinaging effective mechanism to prevent the increases in pricesof rice. Yung idea ng subsidy, ang dami nating narining naabuso e. Mga sinicertify na may karapatang magimport amongother things. Parang panahon po ng nanay ko, nerirethink po

yung NFA. Kailangan ba ho talaga natin yan? May tulong batalaga yan? Ang laki ng drain sa kaban ng bayan. (090926 02)

On JPEPA

None of the obstacles for investing in the Philippines asenumerated by the Philippines Japanese Chamber ofCommerce (PJCC) were covered by [JPEPA]. They (PJCC)were talking about infrastructure, they were talking about peace

and order, they were talking about so many other things, none


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of which will be covered by that particular agreement. (WallStreet Journal)

On BPOs

The figures in Business Process Outsourcing are only 1 out of20 get in. The issue of English competency now comes to theforefront. (Wall Street Journal)

On Trade

Your main mission has to be to find out the comparativeadvantages and work on those comparative advantages.

Reforming our structures so that we will have a competitiveindustry that can compete at the global playing field. (WallStreet Journal)

We will establish hard industry but we dont have thewherewithal to put the skilled manpower, the educatedmanpower to man all of these things. One of our main goals isto improve that. (Wall Street Journal)

If there are industries whose comparative advantages havealready been demonstrated, semiconductors will be one ofthem, lets find out if there are further ways to assist them. (WallStreet Journal)

Fundamentally, we have so many advantages, [and] what [we]really need is the execution and the political will to [use thoseadvantages]. (Wall Street Journal)

How much does it cost to set up a (blast) freezing facility here?

How much does it cost us to bring the commercial attaches inall of our embassies to trumpet this Philippine fish? (i.e.improving domestic production and using foreign attaches tomarket out domestic products). (Wall Street Journal)

Taxation Part of the platform is to have a clear cut taxation policy. (Wall

Street Journal)

Yung sa BIR, tignan niyo yung VAT. May sinasabi silang VATleakage. Sabi ko ang taong nagbayad ng VAT, meron siyang


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bawas sa buwis niya. Sasabihin niya kung kanino niya ibinayad.Pero wala dun sa tao raw, pagpunta dun sa VAT na collectingagency, nagkakaroon ng leakage. Sabi ko tinuro na kung saankokolektahin hindi pa rin mahanap? [Hindi] ako nagbayad, eh di

nasa interes ko patunayan na nabayaran ko na yung buwispara hindi na ako singilin sa buwis na yun, itinuro mo sabinayad. Pagdating dun sa kabila hindi daw ibinayad sa kanyatapos di maresolve. Leakage. Hindi tayo papayag ho doon.(0909226 02)

II. Good Governance

I believe we have to restore the peoples trust in our

government and national political leaders by installing leaderswith proven track records of decency, integrity, transparencyand accountability in public service and government. (PCIJForum)

We need to have a performance measure. For instance, health.Pumili na lang kayo sa, child mortality to diseases. Kailangangmapakita mo na may change. Parameters must be set and weneed to continue being consultative. For these parameters,kailangang dagdagan ang resources if needed. (Face to FaceANC Forum.)

As for education, napakadaling i-determine noon. May mgatests na kino-conduct kung may natutunan ba ang ating mgakabataan. With this, right away makikita kung tama ang sistemang pamamalakad ng mga local school boards. Halos lahat aymay certain designed criteria. Ang idea dito ay i-bring down angmga resources to those who can make the most out of it. This isa way to maximize utility. Ang mga hindi naman nagpe-perform

mayroong pananagutan. The rules will indicate kung ano bayung grounds for suspension, ano ang mga pangaabuso, failureto do their duties These should all be in the criteria. Moreresponsibility performance based on the criteria that we shouldbe providing the people. All the investments and lahat po ngdesirable must be atuned to the local government. Sa amin posa tarlac, we looked at the tourist arrival. Hindi ho kasama sacriteria lalo nat walang dumadating na mga tourists. Theseindicators should not be imposed. We need a series of

consultations. For each region, it must be different. Hindi yung


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iisang mold. What we really need is to address the realities ofthat particular area. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

We want to show people that they do have a stake in

democracy by providing them with reason not just tosurvive but to be a partner in the democratic project. And inour case, in the following areas: health and nutrition, basiceducation, decent housing, decent jobs and, most importantly,the base where all the others will flow from, good governance.(PCIJ Forum)

The fundamental change I think is for the citizenry thatsinvolved. At one point in time I thought it was such an ambition.

Why do you complain for instance come election time that youhave such a dearth of choices? Why dont you take the activerole? When you see in your community somebody worthsupporting, why do you not get this person in a situation that hebecomes part of your choice? But that of course was wishfulthinking. But in this particular context, now, we do have peoplewho are the ones nurturing my candidacy. I did mention that allof my opponents have been campaigning for two years. How doyou compete with them? But in various surveys we havemanaged to be in the forefront - I credit the people reallypushing for this candidacy rather than I as a candidate pushingfor my candidacy. The only request that once victory isachieved, that they do not go back and say, Okay, we put youthere, youre superman, you take care of everything. That Ithink will retard all of the progress that weve achieved. (PCIJForum)

So what is my contribution if I am the focal point of this energy,this movement? That I will want to nurture it so that they do

become active members of the governance aspect of it andhopefully that will entrench the system so that there is no needfor another Edsa People Power, that we will not get into levelssuch as we are experiencing now. (PCIJ Forum)

We will come up with all the mechanisms by which we willencourage hopefully the citizenry to not leave the politicians atthe helm of government and to have only their wants, theirchoices and options be the ones being exercised. We would

want to have them involved in monitoring for instance allgovernment projects. We would want them to be active in the


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legislature by attending the sessions and calling attention evenon something as simple the attendance of their so-calledrepresentatives. We would also want to champion the changingof the mindset of our businessmen gaining a temporary

advantage over competitor seems to be the norm. (PCIJ Forum)

We will try to effect a lot of changes when it comes to, forinstance in graft and corruption, which is considered a retardingfactor. We have some of the best laws in the world copied byother countries but unfortunately the enforcement is lacking. Ifwe are fortunate, the enforcement will be a priority. But at thesame time, we will add the dimension of having a carrot ratherthan just have the stick approach in resolving the issue of

corruption. (PCIJ Forum)

What were hoping to do is for the people to continue watchingthe legislators, watching the executive, even watching thejudiciary. Then all of us will start conforming more and more towhat we have agreed upon as a society, as embodied in ourlaws, leading up to greater efficiencies in government, moreopportunities in business, a growth in the economy, and ifpeoples lives are improving then they will have more of a stakein it and they will continue to nurture the same process.Hopefully, it will set us on a course that will be irreversible. Notafter 20 plus years of EDSA we go back to a more and moreauthoritarian or seeming authoritarian regime. (PCIJ Forum)

The politics of survival is [this administrations] main criterion forgovernance. In the very general sense, what keeps her inpower will be what is done rather that what should bedone. (e.g. NGOs given allotment in the Fertilizer Fund Scam).(Wall Street Journal)

The Chief Executive is being labeled as such because the buckstops there (Fertilizer Fund Scam). And there is no reallysatisfactory answer given during the budget deliberations as tohow that transpired. (Wall Street Journal)

The Attrition Law is a very good law, however, [the Departmentof Finance] keeps revising the goals in the Department ofFinance and keeps revising the revenue targets downwards.

(Wall Street Journal)


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We were supposed to support a program called the hybrid rice,which would have doubled to quadruple the income of ourfarmers, if it had been implemented properly. But that didnthappen because the only thing they harvested was an

increase in rice prices in time of harvest, in 2008. (Wall StreetJournal)

We are serious in enforcing all of the laws with regards tocorruption. And Im sure there will be people who will not thinkthat we are serious. We want to make an example of thesepeople ASAP, maybe within the first week, and file charges,etc., and [at] the same time give them the carrot side theequation; helping them to really conform [with] the laws.

(090925 06)

Ang gobyerno ho itinatag para pagsilbihan ang taong bayan.Kung hindi tinutugunan ang suliranin ng gobyarnong itinatag, ewala ho yatang karapatan ang gobyernong itinatag, dahil lahatng kapangyarihan niyan ipinahiram lang naman ng nakakaramisa loob ng isang demokratikong bansa. (090926 02)

Pero yun na nga ho, dapat yung mga itinatatag natin may mgasystema, may mga polisiya, hindi ho dependent sa tao. Pagnawala yung taong maayos magpalakad niyan tapos na yungmaayos na palakad. Hindi ho dapat sana ganun. (090926 02)

Kung ibinigay sa magsasaka sa loob ng apat na taon (fertilizerfund), kung may irigasyon yung lupa at palay na saka niya,pwede sanang makakaroon ng sampung aning paasenso nangpaasenso nang paasenso, dahil dumadami po yung ani,pwedeng dumagdag ang kanyang itinatawag na inputs.(090925 04)

III. Constitutional Change

Sa pagpapalit po ng ating saligang batas, walang tatanggi namagkakaroon ng disruption. Ito pong disruption, katulad podoon sa mga gustong maginvest sa ating bansa. Mababagoang rules and regulations. Kayat hihintayin muna nila atpagkatapos po doon nalang sila magdedesisyon kung papasoksila o hindi. Ang mangyayari po ay papalitan mo yung

pundasyon. Kailangan munang i-klaro kung ano ang kailanganpalitan. Yung how, hindi natin alam, ang maliwanag na sa akin


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yung why. Ang dokumentong ito ay imperfect, pwede ma-improve. Mag-organize tayo ng debate. At kung sakasakali poay ang Constitutional Convention. Kung pu-puwede naman popara naman hindi maging open ended, hindi puwede isang

parte lamang. Kapag binuksan natin ang saligang batas kasi aypuwedeng palitan na ang lahat. I-limit natin to certain pages.Before Martial Law, dumadaan lahat ng mga appointments saCommission on appointment (CA). May rulings na klaro.Ngayon ang appointments ng PNP hindi na dumadaan sa CA.

Kailangan natin ng checks and balances. Ang powers ngpresidency, hindi rin maliwanag sa constitution. Walangpangcheck. Kailangan ay ma-institute natin ang mga

safeguards at mapangalagaan ang mga karapatan ng atingmga mamamayan. Mayroon ding sost(?) kapag pinalitan natinang saligang batas. Marami ring programa na maantala dahilinaayos natin ang saligang batas. Kailangan tignan muna talagakung anong kailangan. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

My position is, there has to be at the very least a short termdisruption if you embark on changing the constitution especiallyif they are very fundamental changes in the constitution. And to justify that you have to demonstrate that there are glaringobjections in the current constitution that are detrimental to thepeople. (Wall Street Journal)

The debate is all centered on how to change it. Im not exactlysure if the why has been exhausted. (Wall Street Journal)

My fundamental issue with charter change is everybody keepstalking of the how. Im not exactly sure if theres been aconcentration of the why aspect. Now, I liken it to a house: you

remove the foundation. There has to be a demonstration of theincreased benefits of the removal of risks from the people. Itshould be something capricious. So the provision of havingFilipino partners is I think a minimum safeguard. (090926 01)

Admittedly its an imperfect document because it was made byimperfect beings, but in the course of trying to make it better, dowe risk losing a lot of the provisions that only happens becauseit had come after the martial law period. Yung weakening for

instance of, or increasing rather, of the grounds for warrantlessarrests. Will there be a tendency for shall we say a less liberal


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constitution more restrictive, more diminishing of the rights ofthe people. Im not for that. (090926 01)

(Regarding the Nograles provision for 100% land ownership of

foreigners) Philosophically I would rather have a Filipinoundertaking these operations (e.g. mining) because at the endof the day he stays here. The foreigner might not have themalasakit to ensure that future generations are not adverselyaffected by their operations. (090926 01)

Nobody has presented yet an argument that [makes it] urgent,that the country is so at risk with what the constitution is at thepresent time that you have to change it. (090925 06)

Dont forget that when they were touting economic reasons fordoing so, one of the issues was mining. And there was theSupreme Court decision that mining would be basically allowedfor the second time in the Philippines. (090925 06)

IV. Education

The figures in the Business Process Outsourcing are only 1 outof 20 get in. The issue of English competency now comes to theforefront. (Wall Street Journal)

The President in her last SONA said we will have Englishremedial classes. If it was something she said in 2001 thatwould be good. But she is saying it in 2009, delivering her laststate of the nation address. It now goes back to governance.Where is the direction? (Wall Street Journal)

Yung problema sa basic education, yung grade school atsaka

yung high school, theoretically ten years. Masakit ho sa tenyears, tatatlo nalang tayong bansa ang ten year cycle saeducation e. Karamihan nasa 12 to 14 years yung basiceducation. Imumunkahi ho naming gagawin na nating 12-yearcycle. Dadag ho niyo yung nursery, bago ho grade one, paramasanay yung bata na papasok ka sa eskwelahan. (i.e. weneed to reform our basic education to make it a 12 year cycleinstead of just 10 and include a plan for universal pre-school).(090926 02)


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Eto pa ho yung masakit, noong araw may tinatawag na masspromotion. Tuturuan ka hindi ka natuto, sorry de grade two kanext year. Pag di parin natuto dun, e grade three ka na.Pagdating ng grade six, e di parin marunong magbasa. E

naging totoo yun e, dahil ang kaya lang ng estado paaralin kanang minsan. Hindi ka pwedeng ibagsak para paaralin kauli. (090926 02)

Taon-taon ho kasi kulang [tayo ng] 20,000, 23,000, 25,000classrooms. Huhumugin natin nang maayos from the start [angmga estudyante at] i-enrol sa private school. Pag dinaan natinsa private, binayaran lang natin yung tuition, ang laki ng ititipidng gobyerno. Tapos natulungan pa natin mabuhay yung private

sector, partner natin sila sa pageeducate ng kabataan natin.(i.e. if we insist on putting every students in public schools, thengovernment has to pay for everything, including the desks, theblackboard, school supplies and equipment, etc. while if weenroll students in private schools, all government has to pay isthe tuition fee. This is much more cost efficient.) (090926 02)

V. Disaster Management and Prevention

The government brags that it has sufficient aircraft and boats forsearch and rescue operations. But during the last major disaster(Typhoon Ondoy), none has surfaced. (Wall Street Journal)

There were already systems in place that were responding tothe needs of the people. Then and there, right away andagain I emphasize, not after the disaster struck but even in themidst of the typhoon, while it was raging (i.e. the relief efforts ofDSWD under Sec. Dinky Soliman). (Wall Street Journal)

From a situation where their (government) planning was soprecise, the system was so in place that they were helping inthe midst of a tragedy, to a situation where they are delayed inhelping, to now, it seems, that government can no longer help.When they were delayed, I thought that was already wrong.When it seems that they have an inability to help(Wall StreetJournal)

We have a calamity fund. All local government units have 5% of

their budget allocated for this effort. And then, practically at theonset of it many of them are asking for assistance, locally and


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from foreign donors. Im not exactly sure as to where all thesecalamity funds went to. (Wall Street Journal)

We need to prevent abuses and to make it more responsive

bago magkaroon ng urgency. Tingnan po natin, yung datingsistema noong panahon ng dating Secretary ng DSWD na siDinky Soliman, parating palang ang bagyo, ready na ang mgarelief goods at ready na ang mga evacuation centersnamiminimize ang hardships ng taong bayan. Tulad nalang dinpo nang nangyari sa Kabikulan. Medyo matagal tagal din angresponse.

Ang nangyari ho ay yung National Government na po ang

humihingi ng relief, parang napakabaliktad na yung dapatnangyayari doon. Lahat nang ito, kailangan ay i-empower, butat the same time, isulong natin ang accountability. (Face toFace ANC Forum)

VI. Health

Reproductive Health

Q: Going back to the RH bill, if you win as president would youallow government sectors to make available contraceptives?SBSA: Yes. There is no provision in the Constitution thatmandates a church run government. In fact, there is a provisionthat says that there is a separation of church and state.(Mandaue City Press Conference)

My position is, there is a problem, there is a need for the stateto remind everybody, the parents, that they have responsibilities

to their children. But as far as methods, as to how to space andto plan your family, the state cannot interfere beyond educatingeverybody. That is already the function of the various churchesof the people who will decide, meaning the couples and theirconscience. (Mandaue City Press Conference)

There are so many at risk who do not adhere to the Catholicfaith and what do we do with them? Sorry na lang? These arethe people who cannot even afford it and they feel that it does

not even go against their faith nor their conscience. Then we go


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back to the unwanted pregnancies, the too young pregnanciesand so many other things. (Mandaue City Press Conference)

When I say educate, I guess I was already in 3 rd year college

before we had formal sex education. I have a relative whohappens to be in 3rd year college also and it seems that he isalso getting his formal sex just at this time. I am very seriousabout this, their access to media, media meaning including theinternet at a very young age, more so than my time when theinternet did not exist - this necessitates even an earliereducation for them to be able to act as responsible adults.(Mandaue City Press Conference)

That is one of the questions I have for interpellation. Ifgovernment hospitals will have it, that means theres a budgetfor it. There is a truism that if you have a budget and you dontspend it youll lose it. So, instead of having a provision that thegovernment hospitals will have, they might start activelypromoting it or pushing it or forcing people to utilize the same.That I think is wrong. If they do that, there will have to bepenalties if they force anybody to utilize something against theirwill. (Mandaue City Press Conference)

It is the parents who are in the best position to know how tospace, how many children they should have, what theircapabilities are in terms of rearing their children and so on andso forth. The state cannot tell any couple that you will be limitedto one or two children, or limited to a thousand children. It is theparents, their responsibilities and their conscience. (MandaueCity Press Conference)

True, kapag nagkita na kami, at nakapagusap na kami, palagay

ko ay maiintindihan niya kung saan ako nagmumula at ano angmga concerns natin. At siyempre number one na nga doonhalos dumoble na ang ating populasyon dito sa Pilipinas atyung attendant na mga problema dulot ng kakulangan sakakayahan ay nandiyan na nga at damang-dama na ng atingmga kababayan. (ABS-CBN Cebu)

My only position there is that the state has an obligation toremind parents that when they bring in children in this world,

they have obligations to those children. And to be able to meetthose obligations, normally you will have to plan your family and


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space them. The state cannot mandate how you plan yourfamily and the methods that you will use. It cannot even tell youhow many children you should have. I do not also support ideasthat have been tried in other countries like the 1 child policy. In

China, they have not reversed that policy yet. But in Singaporeand Japan they have been reversing and have alreadyintroduced means such as incentives to have more children.(Cebu Daily News)

Bottom line, I cannot subscribe to the idea to ignore that there isa problem. It is wrong for the state to impose its will as it willviolate so many provisions of our Constitution. The state,however, is obligated to remind the parents of their

responsibilities. (Cebu Daily News)

I will also find ways and means and I have said this in publicseveral times that we will invite the Catholic church and otherchurches to join in the educational seminars and campaigns toremind the parents of their responsibilities. After the remindingaspect, perhaps we can explain the options for those who haveno means. However, the conscience of the couple, theirdecisions as to how many and the influence of their churcheswill be the ones to decide as to which methods they should use.(Cebu Daily News)

We are open to talk to anybody and everybody. After all, we arepublic servants. I have talked to some quarters that areextremely conservative and at the end of the discussion they donot want to discuss anything. (Cebu Daily News)

With regard to the RH bill, there is a misnomer andmisimpression that Im an author of the RH bill. I didnt author

any such bill. In fact, the current bill under consideration, I havealready informed the sponsor that I have some questions aboutthis. What is my position? And Im sticking to that position comewhatever pressure any group wants to throw my way.

The country in 1986 had a population of about 50 millionFilipinos. We are now, arguably, between 90 to 95 millionFilipinos in a period of about roughly 20 years. So the issueis, population growth is geometric, rather than arithmetic in

progression. (If it remains) unchecked, there can be a doublingagain in perhaps 10 years. The issue is that with unmitigated


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population growth, especially unplanned, then you have theattendant problem of education, health, feeding, sheltering andso on and so forth. My only position is that there is an issue withpopulation and parents or prospective parents and the state is

obligated to remind them that they do have responsibilitiestowards their children. Do I advocate population control one-child policies for instance, no, I dont think so. At the end of theday, the method and the size of the family should all be left tothe persons involved in making the decisions, meaning theparents, their conscience is on the churches where they belongto. The state cannot and should not impose as to size, as tomethod. All it is obligated to do, in my opinion, there reallyseems to be a disconnect between having families and being

responsible for them and the state has to intervene byeducating the populace. Unfortunately, the very conservativequarters feel that this is a topic that should not be discussed.Period. Ignorance cannot lead to informed decisions. That ismy only position. (PCIJ Forum)

When I was in school, I think the very first time we had sexeducation was in third year college. Unfortunately, I havenephews who seem to be also undertaking their sex educationcome third year college. With the growth of the informationhighway they have access to so many influences at a muchearlier stage than I did and their recourse to getting moreinformation is to talk to peer groups who are as blind as theyare. We cannot ignore I think the issues. There has to beeducation. There has to be informed guided decisions. And ifwe do not even discuss it then we relegated to having anexacerbation of the problem. (PCIJ Forum)

Now, what are the provisions of the RH bill that Im not

comfortable with? Government hospitals will be provided withbudgets in support of artificial methods of family planning. Thereis a truism in government that if you have a budget and youdont spend it you lose it the following year. What might beoptional suddenly becomes an enforced or even the prospectivepatients might be cajoled into it. I dont agree with that. I thinkthere should be penal sanctions for people who willwrongly advise prospective families and parents as to theiroptions and their rights. (PCIJ Forum)

Is it a wishy-washy position? No, I think thats a very reasonable


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position. Countries that have exercised strict child policy lawsare now reversing their stances. But at the same time one doesnot need to go too far to see communities where the mother haschildren of perhaps 10 months gap in between, living in very

poor conditions, and obviously there is no improvement in thesucceeding generations given those conditions. So I cannot ingood conscience say that the problem does not exist toappease the more conservative elements in our society. If Iget their support, not get their support should be secondary toespousing something that I believe in and that I think is right.Basically, to start talking about it at the very least, to starteducating everybody about their responsibilities. (PCIJ Forum)

Im being labeled today as an abortionist for espousingeducation. Be that as it may, Id rather defend that which Ithink is right rather than accept something not right and behard pressed to defend that position. (PCIJ Forum)

I do believe that there is an issue (Population). We havepractically doubled our population in 20 years after EDSA. Now,of course, the population increases are geometric progressionsand one has to wonder where we will be ten years down the lineif it is left unchecked. (Wall Street Journal)

Now there is a necessity to plan your family. As to how to planand what methods to use - that should be left to the individual.That should be left to his conscience and the church he belongsto. (Wall Street Journal)

What I wanted to also ask the sponsor is that you will beproviding budget for the artificial means to the governmenthospitals. I want to put in penal sanctions for those who mislead

our countrymen. (Wall Street Journal)

You go to any urban poor area and you have the baby, youhave two children tugging at the skirt of the mother, and theresanother one following behind. (And that is where) my conceptcame in, you have to realize that these are their (parents)responsibilities and you have to analyze what their means areto achieve those (responsibilities). And it is [the parents]obligation to provide [their] children with certain basics. (Wall

Street Journal)


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We cannot ignore that we have practically doubled ourpopulation. (Wall Street Journal)

The demands of this population on the resources of the country

and more directly of the state compels us to look for an answer.(Wall Street Journal)

On Health Care

Tungkol naman po sa kalusugan, mas importante ho na bagomagkasakit ay yung prevention. Dapat tama kinakain, malinisang kapaligiran - yun ang hindi madadaan sa gamot. Pagumabot na tayo sa gamot, may problema na. (Baseco)

Noong panahon yatang iyon ay preventive healthcare angpinaguusapan. Pero babalik tayo sa problema ng ekonomiya.Nutrisyon nga ang sabi niyo, kapag wala nga hong kinakain,paano? (i.e. the focus must be preventive healthcare whichbrings to the forefront the issue of nutrition). (090926 02)

VII. COMELEC

Poll Automation

With the most sophisticated computers I am not thatcomputer savvy, but I do know that there are so many lines ofprograms that can reconstruct as to what happened you haveto go through all of these lines, and by the time you were able toprove your case perhaps the term is over. That is the significantdanger. (Wall Street Journal)

My issue here is, in the manual system you have more people

involved in the conspiracy. And in automated process youminimize the people who are involved in the chain. (Wall StreetJournal)

VIII. Environment

On Climate Change

Suddenly the whole schedule is changed. The cold weather, the

rainy season actually. (i.e. that since we are an agriculturalcountry we depend on the predictability of seasonal normality,


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that is, climate seasons in conjunction with harvesting cycles).(Wall Street Journal)

On Land Use

Dapat mayroong national land use policy. Tignan natinimplementation, tignan natin pano irerenew. (e.g. thestalagmites and stalactites is the caves in Baguio were alldiminished because the caves were used as drainage). (09092602)

IX. Agrarian Reform

On Hacienda Luisita

Thats actually inaccurate (labor disputes). From 1958 to 2004, Iunderstand there were two labor disputes and they centeredprimarily on; (1) they had an administrator which they didnt like,they booted him out. (2) The other deals with the Church thatdoes not allow its members to be union members. (Wall StreetJournal)

I had an assessment of exactly what I own of it and Iminformed that I own 4 percent. Im not even sure if its fourpercent of the corporation or four percent of the familysholdings. Of course, theres 96 percent else to contend with. Bethat as it may, I think what I stated before is the main position.That it has gotten to the point that the livelihoods of our peoplethere, our constituents, our kababayans, is severely affectedbecause they are always being dragged into the politicalsphere. A business entity will work better with them and thefocus will be on how to attain the efficiency and competitiveness

necessary for their continued survival and the continuation oftheir jobs. What is clear to me is that my family has been therefrom 1958 and up to 2004, provided jobs, at its peak, 8000people. Outside forces did cause agitation and those samepeople from 2004 to the present dont have a job. I dont hearanything from them as to how to attain their job. Be that as itmay, our grandparents taught us that they are not employees,they are part of the family, and we are just negotiating for, howshall I put it, an insurance that these people will get their just

rewards and their livelihoods back. We want to come up with asolution thats fair to everybody. (PCIJ Forum)


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On CARP

My take on the land reform is that its supposed to be a 10 yearprogram. First you identify the land, and the people who are

tilling it are beneficiaries. They extended it for another 10 years,and now its going to be extended for another 5 years. And themain justification is new discovered CARPable lands andtherefore, new beneficiaries. I dont understand that. (WallStreet Journal)

The idea is once you have distributed the land then theinterventions should be for them to increase in productivity,yield, credit facilities and so on and so forth. That should be

where the budget will go to. That budget is being diluted by thedistribution. (Wall Street Journal)

What they are asking is a doubling of the budget. All I amsaying is that in 5 years time, will the DAR come back and say,We have discovered more lands, and more people that shouldbe given these lands and therefore we should continue to exist.And of course, you delay again the transfer of the resourcesthat the people have already benefited from the agrarian reformprogram. (Wall Street Journal)

Then there are other people, other corporations who areconsolidating all of these lands so we are back to square 1.(Wall Street Journal)

But again, you cannot just transfer that land to that personand say, I am done with you. Of course you need to teachhim until he becomes a manager, becomes the agriculturebusiness planner, the cooperative member, etc. All of these

will have to be transferred also to make it as viable as it werecorporate farm or even better. (Wall Street Journal)

It has been 5 years and that the people who worked land hadnot had jobs because again, primarily of political forces. (WallStreet Journal)

[In the] extension of the CARP bill. I didnt participate becausethere would be questions as to whether or not I was protecting

vested interests. So I had to excuse myself from all of thedebates. (090925 06)


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You start with land distribution, and land distribution starts with:who are the beneficiaries and what is the land? How big is theland that they are tilling? Then once you have distributed theland, [the] intervention on how to maximize the output of the

land should be the next phase. (090925 06)

[The CARP has been existent for 25 years] and when we askedwhat their (DAR) plans were they said they discovered newlands and they discovered new beneficiaries. I dont understandthat. How [do] you explain the discovering of new land in thePhilippines? We dont want it to be a money-making venture forthe members of DAR. (090925 06)

DAR, its a program. It has a beginning and it has an end. Thenyou go into the interventions (after distributing all the CARPablelands): transfer technology, better varieties, equipment, creditcredit is very importantwhich can be handled by thegovernment financial institute and the DA. (090925 06)

X. Mindanao Issue

Mindanao, land of promise. It still has all of the potential, largelyuntapped. It represents an opportunity to do everything rightaway. The sad thing is, its still remaining as potential ratherthan actual boosts to the economy of the country that give us allof the opportunities to really have growth not only for Mindanaobut also for the rest of the country. (090926 01)

On Peace Process

Hinahabol natin ay maging all-inclusive. Kailangan ay kasamalahat ng stakeholders sa usaping pangkapayapaan. Kailangan

din nating maging transparent. Hindi puwede yung dalawamuna sa isang kwarto na mag-uusap, magkakasunduan. Paanonaman ang ibang stakeholders? Dahil dito, nagkakaroon ngdividing factor. Dapat kapag magsasaayos ng problema, lahatay kasama. All these dialogues should be all-inclusive andtransparent. Iyon ang isusulong natin. At the same time, wemust also look at those who are primarily taking advantage ofinstability of the situation. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

Kailangan nating mag cross-correlation. We need moredialogues. We need to hear both sides. In the first place, paano


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ka makikipagkasundo kung hindi mo mapagkatiwalaan yungkausap mo. We need investment in the future. For instance,ang estudyante from Luzon and Visayas puwede nating ipadalasa Mindanao. Puwede rin ipadala ang mga estudyante from

Mindanao sa Luzon and Visayas. Ang umpisa ng prosesong itoay ang pagkakaroon ng pagtitiwala dahil ito ang hakbang napinakamahirap. Kapag nagkaroon na kasaganaan, mayroon ngparehong interes na pangalagaan. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

The first focus [of my administration] has to be on the peaceaspect. Everything rides on the idea that there is an attainmentof peace otherwise there will be no intervention that would workto any good. (090926 01)

I think the key to addressing it is sincere dialogue with all of thestakeholders. (090926 01)

(Regarding the NPA) If there are still possibilities fordiscussions they have to be explored and completelyexhausted. You have to seek out people who have at least apartially open mind. I understand that complications happenwhen you have negotiations on both sides who have sufferedthrough so much atrocity everyday that there is very little trust.You can find the right individuals to spearhead the dialogue, thetalks and the trust-building exercises also. (090926 01)

(Regarding the MNLF) With any group that feelsdisenfranchised, that feels separated from the mainstream, wewill seek them out, have a dialogue [with them], and try to cometo some agreement. At the same time I think the state shoulddemonstrate it has the wherewithal, the strength of will, or forceof will to enforce all of the laws of our country. (090926 01)

(Regarding the NDF) You know there are some that are reallyideologues that have a goal that is disparate from that which Ihave to do if I am sworn, again, to defend and uphold theconstitution. (090926 01)

(Regarding the Abu Sayyaf) It has to be twofold. One is youhave to have all the necessary forces to go after them, seriouslygo after them, without let up, and at the same time you have to

try to have all the economic interventions, interventions in theeconomic sphere whereby there is no necessity to go up into


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the hills and engage in banditry. I am sure even with a modicumof increase in economic opportunities you have adisproportionate decrease in the intensity to live in themountains, to live that hard life. (090926 01)

Look at the resources that should have been geared toproviding more jobs, more food for our people, getting wastedinto so many programs and policies that were good only inname, and perhaps even in the fiction of implementing laws, butactually practiced were abused, misused constantly, which willlead to again disenchantment with the system, a disaffection,which would increase all of the attendant problems, which has anegative effect. (090926 01)

Among the things Id want to find out is the so-calledsecessionists [that] are not a state unto themselves, but theyseem to be able to replenish [their] armaments to the sameextent that the nation-state has? (090925 06)

The state should be able to protect all of its citizens. It shouldenforce peace situations. There should be no entity that couldchallenge the state. Now, if you have that peace, then you havethe state also observing all in terms of protection of basichuman rights, in terms of due process of law, meeting all ofthese objectives. And if I can do it purely on a dialogue basis[even if I can only buy] relative peace or temporary peace, [thenwe could start with the] intervention, [such as] job generatingand income generating activities. (090925 06)

NINOY: True freedom is freedom from hunger, and allother freedoms flow from that. (090925 06)

[However, in a minority class, there is a subset whose mindsetis] regardless of anything, they do not want peace. The stateshould be able to handle them also. (090925 06)

On loose Firearms

(Mindanao having the most number of loose firearms) InAmerica they have the so-called buyback schemes. Youpurchase all of these firearms. (090926 01)


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You also go into penalties for, you know, how these firearmsleak from these lawful possessors into the arms of these peoplewho are not authorized to do so. (090926 01)

You know, your police and military forces should be religious inthe observance of all the pertinent laws. If they are notinstruments of the justice system, if they are uneven in terms ofthe applications of our laws, then you will have peopledisenchanted, disenfranchised and who will take the law intotheir own hands, [thus propagating the use of unlicensed andunregistered firearms]. (090926 01)

On Warlordism

All the stereotypes of what a warlord is should not be allowed tohappen. (There should also be a transition period where wecould disarm the private armies without leading to moreviolence). (090926 01)

On Mining

I think all our laws are there. Its really a question of enforcingall of these pertinent laws. (090926 01)

With regard to revenue sharing, I understand that it is already inthe law. Yun yung tama at mayroon ng batas. Kung saka-sakalipo na yung oil, natural gas and all mineral resources, namagkaroon ng environmental degregation, kayo ang sisisihin sapangyayari. Kung mayroong idadagdag at i-papako sa inyongmga balikat, magiging responsibilidad ninyo iyun. Huwag kayomaging katulad ng mga sundalo noong World War I napinaabante sa kalaban at sabi pulutin mo na lang yung baril ng

katabi mo. Maling mali ho ito. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

As for the revenue sharing of mining and the approval orlogging for that matter. There is a responsibility. Hindisumasama sa empowering the people na concept po natin. Angsitwasyon ho ay, nagiging hadlang, ang isang pamumuno kasimayroong mga kaibigan tayo na kontra interes at sa mgamekanismo. Ang sa akin po ay kung saan magigingkapakipakinabang. Ang reason ko po diyan, kapag may

dispute, ang dapat ay ang LGUs at ang NationalGovernment maging magkapantay. Kailangan po na i-treat


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ng equal, ngunit hindi po ito nakasaad sa constitution. Angnangyayari po ay the subordinate will have moreresponsibilities. Bottomline, we need to subject this to furtherstudies and discussions, especially with the community. (Face

to Face ANC Forum)

(Regarding the Nograles provision for 100% land ownership offoreigners) Philosophically I would rather have a Filipinoundertaking these operations (e.g. Mining in Marinduque;foreign firm suddenly pulling up stakes, suddenly transferring allof their assets to their local partner, after suffering a breach incontainment and poisoning the waters in Marinduque) becauseat the end of the day he stays here. The foreigner might not

have the malasakit to ensure that future generations are notadversely affected by their operations. (090926 01)

On Logging Monitoring

Especially when you go through all of these areas that used tohave abundant forests, you dont have to go that far. (e.g. hillsin Tarlac have no trees; Come the rainy season, Tarlac riverrampages. In the dry months there is nothing and our watertable is really in a bad situation.) (090926 01)

On Internally Displaced Peoples

Actually the first person that I have talked to who has agreed toserve in the cabinet is Dinky Soliman. She has demonstratedcompetence even in things as regular and as simple asdisasters after typhoons and so on, in something as basic aspre-positioning relief supplies, extant, and she did in her term.So I will tap into her expertise. She will be focusing on that

particular problem among others. (090926 01)

Put our citizenry to safe areas firsthopefully voluntarily. Thenafterwards we deal with whatever causes. Youll want tostabilize the situation whereby they can assume normalcy of lifeas soon as possible. Then obviously if they are into farming orwhatever their livelihoods are, the government should ease theirtransition back. The government should try and introduce, abridging mechanism whereby the wherewithal, the capital, the

credit that they need is provided. Technical expertise also.(090926 01)


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On Separation of Moro Peoples

Im an elected public official, Ive sworn to uphold the

constitution. I cannot go beyond what is written in theconstitution. When you grant the air rights, the land rights, thesea rights, how do you work that? Do I [need to] have apassport when I travel to the next boundary?

X. Firearms

In America they have the so-called buyback schemes. You

purchase all of these firearms. (090926 01)

You also go into penalties for, you know, how these firearmsleak from these lawful possessors into the arms of these peoplewho are not authorized to do so. (090926 01)

You know, your police and military forces should be religious inthe observance of all the pertinent laws. If they are notinstruments of the justice system, if they are uneven in terms ofthe applications of our laws, then you will have peopledisenchanted, disenfranchised and who will take the law intotheir own hands, [thus propagating the use of unlicensed andunregistered firearms]. (090926 01)

XI. Security

On VFA

Yung VFA po ay nakakatulong sa kagamitan, kaalaman. Sa

buod ho ay nakakatulong. But at the same time, kapag angPilipino ang naakusahan at nasintensyahan, diretso siya sakulungan. Ngunit ang dayuhan, tila mas maganda angpribilehiyo at ikinulong pa po sa parang resort sa US embassy.Parang ang nangyayari ho ay mas may mga karapatan pa angmga dayuhan kaysa sa mga Pilipino. Dapat po ay ma-reviewiyan at mapag-aralan at mapangalagaan na pangunahin tayongmga Pilipino sa sarili nating bansa. Pagpasok dito, more thananything tignan natin na parang nagiging permanent na sila

dito. We need to look at it and ask, Paano na po ang interesnatin? Lalo na kung hindi pareho ang interes natin sa kanila.


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Katulad na lang ng Palawan. May pagkakataon na silang mag-intervene.

Katulad na lang po ng World War II na nadamay ang Pilipinas

dahil may base sila dito. Pagkatapos ng giyera, tinulungan nganila tayong bumangon pagkatapos tayong magulpi ng isanggiyera na hindi naman tayo ang may pangunahing pakay.Kailangan ay manindigan tayo sa ating mga karapatan.Bottomline, we need to review the Visiting ForcesAgreement. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

To be realistic, we are an archipelagic country, we have acoastline bigger than that of the Americas, and then we dont

have the wherewithal to protect our economic interests, ourpeople. So it makes sense to come into agreement, and part ofthat is having bases and visiting forces agreement bases.(090926 01)

Australia comes to mindthat might want to have cooperativeagreements with us, and thereby mutual defense treaties andsuch, so we can have a defensive net at minimal cost, or atleast cost to our economy which has to be prioritized toaddressing the first freedom, which is freedom from hunger.[emphasis mine] (090926 01)

VFA should be reviewed. (090926 01)

XII. Local Government

On the Internal Revenue Allottments

Sa ating pagaaral, ito pong revenues na pinagmumulan ng IRA ay

napakaliit. Napakadami rin po kasing leakage. Puwede sanangmakolekta at sana ay ma-i-dadagdag sa revenues.

Ayoko munang i-announce ngayon kung gaano kalaki yung i-dadagdag. Magsimula tayo sa pagbabago ng ratio. Yung mgaparangal kung paano mag-plan, i-identify na rin natin. Hindi itoimposible. Gawin natin yung dapat gawin. So, without changinganything, halos kaya ko na ho na i-guarantee sa inyo na maydagdag.


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On top of that, yung National government at ang buong budgetpuwedeng i-allocate to those particular LGUs. Naniniwala ako nakung ang problema ay kakulangan sa pera, magagawan ito ngparaan upang ma-i-ayos. Kung kayo ang may kakayahan, kaya

namang i-absorb ang resources, at kayang i-implement with theNational Development Bank ang pinaguusapan. Bakit kayo hindimagkakaroon ng resources? Kayo ang nasa harapan at kayo angmayroong pananagutan sa taong bayan. Hindi puwede yungstatement na, Wala kaming nagawa.

Bibigyan naman namin kayo ng parangal at pagkakataon paramay magawa kayo. Sa tulong po nito, kung ginawa ninyo ngmaayos ang parte ninyo, lahat tayo ay magiging kasiya-siya sa

ating taong bayan. Ito ang susi sa pananatili ninyo sapanunungkulan. Kung ako po ay papalarin, ito ang ating maiiwanglegacy. Again, kapag mayroong dagdag na responsibilities,mayroon ding dagdag na accountability. Kailangan ay maypagkakasundo sa lahat ng ating tatahakin. Hindi puwede na iisangtao na dahil lang siya ay pogi at sikat. Baliktad ho iyon sa atingpaniniwala. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

On Fiscal Autonomy

Basically, kung ano mang iisipin. Ang implementation will be basedon the capabilities of the LGUs.

May tinatawag po tayong downplaying na ang plano ninyo - yungnasa lugar ninyo ang dapat gawin.

Dapat ay magkakasundo tayo na ito ang dapat gawin. Kayo angmangunguna sa laban. Kayo rin ang mangunguna sapagtataguyod ng plano at kayo rin ang dapat na mayroong

resources. May sharing din tayo sa hirap. Ito ay kailangangmapagusapan tsaka natin baguhin o dagdagan ang shares natin.Kung magagamit ito ng maayos, ating tandaan na mayroon tayongresponsibilidad, mayroon tayong accountability. Bilang gabay,mayroon ding mga batas na dapat sundan natin. Ma-e-encouragenaman yung mga maayos ang ginagawa na ipagpatuloy angkanilang mga ginagawa.. at yung hindi naman, mayroon dingkaukulang ipapataw.

Ipasok din ho ang transparency issue, kailangang ma-ipakita samga tao na dito napunta o doon. Gagawa tayo ng measure na


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yung dagdag na intervention ito ang resulta, kung gumanda ba ohindi. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

On Devolution

You have areas, for instance Naga in Bicol, you have JesseRobredo, where even the problem of urban poor settlers hasbeen settled by getting the urban poor themselves, the informalsettlers, into the decision-making process. So I have fullconfidence in devoting all of the resources of the state to givethem their rightful share. Confidence level is high that they willdo right. But what about the others who do the complete

opposite? (i.e that those LGUs who are performing well will andmust be rewarded fiscally and in terms of institutional freedom,while those with poor performance will be much more controlledand will have less resources). (090925 06)

I am not sure that we have reached a level of maturity, politicalmaturity, that will give us the freedom of states such as theUnited States, the German states, or the Swiss Cantons, but weshould be headed in that direction. We sense thatand I think Itold earlierpeople who have been experiencing the problemwill probably have the best solution. So why not leave thecrafting of solutions to people who know the problemsbest? (090925 06)

Sa issue po nang devolution, pag-uusapan po natin iyan.Mayroong mga local school boards na ang namamahala aymga LGUs pero maraming hindi na a-actualize naman po yungating tinatawag na taxation. Pinag-aaralan natin yung UDHA nameron dapat na socialized housing fund. Ang pagkakaintindi po

dito ay hindi ginagamit ang power of taxation. On the otherhand, ang usapin po ng mga ospital. Gusto ko nang isaulisa national government. Sa kapulisan naman ay totalcontrol of our local police force.

Yung mungkahi ko ho noong araw sa Kongreso, na yung localpolice force ang siyang magsasaayos ng peace and order salocality. Ang national police force ay hindi papasok kung hindiiimbitahin ng local government units at coterminous pa yung

chief of police. The idea to the LGU official, but I dont know ifthat will serve the peoples interest as far as having a


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professional and efficient police services are concerned. (Faceto Face ANC Forum)

Mayroon namang happy compromise. Kailangang i-klaro yung

OIC ng paglalagyan ninyo diyan. Ang point na kung paano rintatanggalin, i-ka-klaro rin natin iyan. Kayo ang dapat in chargesa peace and order ng mga lugar, tapos hindi naman i-ignoreang mga hepe ng pulis. I-klaro na rin natin pati yung pag-exit.

Sa panukalang batas na ito, na sana ay maipasa, angkarapatan ninyo ang ma-e-exercise.

The foundation is consultation and the direct review. I-review

muna natin yung mga na-devolve. Itanong natin, yung mganagsucceed, bakit nagsucceed? Yung mga nagfail bakitnagfail?

Ang batayan diyan ang kakayahan ng bawat LGUs. Titignannatin in general kung lahat ganito ang gagawin natin. We needto look at the capabilities of the cities and the municipalities. Wewill give responsibilities to those who can exercise the same. Asmuch as possible, hindi natin ibibigay yung pasanin na hindi nilakakayanin and at the same time we will give to those who canaccomplish the mission. (Face to Face ANC Forum)

XIII. Urban Poor

Tungkol po sa mga reclaimed area, dahil hindi pa ganoon kahanda at masasabing Ito na po ang mga detalye ang gagawinsa Baseco. Ngunit, ngayon po ay klaro sa atin na hindi dapatpaliguan ang Manila Bay, basurahan ang Manila Bay napinagkukunan din ng pagkain. Paano ba maayos yan? (Baseco)

Mag-uumpisa tayo sa security of tenure, kaya po sinusulongnatin ang amendments ng UDHA. Baka pwede ipasok angTesda. Madagdagan natin ang skills para may employable skillsyung merong pagkakakitaan nakakonekta sa papasukan nila. I-review natin kung alin ang pwedeng tirhan at alin ang hindi.Saan ba safe at saan mapanganib? At gagawin ho nacomprehensive ang pagpaplano. (Baseco)

Kapag may plano man, dapat po kasama kayo. Kung ako aymay pagkakataon, kasama kayong hinuhulma ang plano. Hindi


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ibig sabihin noon kapag nag-usap tayo, hindi lahat ng gustonyo. Pag nag-usap tayo, kaya nga po kausap ko kayo ngayondapat tayo ay reasonable at may bigayan. Madali naman itokung pareho ang gusto nating mangyari. (Baseco)

Gusto nga ho namin malaman kung paano kayo isasaayos.Paano kayong nandito sa Baseco? Paano yung nandoon samay tulay sa Donya Imelda? Paano naman ang mga napadalasa Palawan, Laguna? Paano naman yung nasa Montalban?Kailangan malaman kung paano maiaayos at kung ano angkailangan ayusin. (Baseco)

Kailangan din na gumalaw at ireview ng TESDA ang kanilang

programa. Dapat din ay hindi tayo humabol sa eksena. Yoonbang ang daming nagtatayo ng mga nursing schools. Atkapag nag-graduate na ang mga nursing students na ito,sobra sobra na ang mga nurse na nandyan. Napuno nayung mercado para sa mga nurses. Dahil dito, pag-graduate nila ay pareho rin ang problema walangpupuntahan.(Baseco)

Kung nandun na sa urban poor nga, ayusin natin ang problemanila, pero manigurado tayo na yung dun naman sa tagayulan,yung rural side, yung saan nanggagaling yung pupunta saurban areas ay may sapat na pagkakataon sa pangkabuhayanpara hindi na ho natin idagdag yung problema dito. (i.e. fix theurban poor problem in the urban areas but also ensure that thepeople in the rural areas have livelihood sufficient to provide fortheir families so that they do not have migrate to urban areasand add to the problem of congestion in these areas). (09092602)

Housing

Sa ilalim ng lead agency UDHA at ang HUDCC. Malapit na poang budget at ilang beses ko na po silang napalampas. Itongtaon na ito matatanong ko na ho sila, Kayo ang dapatmagplano kung paano isasaayos ang problema ng maralitangtaga lungsod! Di ho ba? Itatanong ko po, Ano ba ang nagawaninyo? at Ano ang plano ninyong gawin? At kung hindi

maganda ang sagot nila, hindi rin maganda ang boto naminpagdating sa budget nila. Ako po ay mangungumbinsi ng iba


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tutal, kung pinapahirapan nila yung mga naghihirap na sabansa, siguro ho ay dapat mapahirapan na rin sila! Yun po angkaya nating gawin sa ngayon dahil tayo ay senador at nasaoposisyon pa. Alam ninyo naman kapag nag-mungkahi tayo

kay Ginang Arroyo, baka hindi umaabot sa kanya at hindi naniya pinapakinggan. (Baseco)

Tungkol ho sa Inventory of Land For Socialized Housing, mina-mandate po ang mga local government units (LGUs) na ilista, atpagkatapos ay titignan po natin kung anong natira diyan atpagkatapos ay i-ma-match po natin. (Baseco)

May priority po sa amendments na kung nasa siyudad na kayo,

nasa urbanidad na, ang dapat po ay in-city ang relocation.Yun po ang parte na minumungkahi natin sa amendments. Athindi po yung kung saan saan na lang kayo ililipat. Ang dapatpo ay kung mayroon sa parehong lungsod, doon po dapat kayoililipat. (Baseco)

Yung sa UDHA ho, sa totoo lang paniwala ko po diyanmaraming provisions, magandang batas, dapat maiayos nanatin since 1994, hindi ho ba? And problema hindi hoinimpliment pati yung imbentaryo. Imbentaryo ng taongkahanay doon sa informal centers, yung imbentaryo ng lupa napwede sa socialized housing. (i.e. The UDHA is a good lawhowever it is not implemented properly as there is no inventoryof informal settlers and of lands that may be used for socializedhousing). (090926 02)

Anyway, siguro ang talagang centro o yung buod aypapakinggan ko kayo. Kayo ang nasa gitna ng problemang ito,kayo ang malamang may mga solusyon na talagang kaya

niyong suportahan. (e.g. following the example of NAGA underMayor Jesse Robredo in dealing with informal settlers). (09092602)

So yun naman ang maaasahan niyo. Yung naandun nagagawan na natin. Batas na yun e (UDHA). Implementationlang ang kailangan. Kung may direksyon ba dun? Opo. May willba? Opo. May pondo bang tutustusin at gagamitin diyan?Palagay ko meron rin. (090926 02)


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Yung analogy niyo na kung 25% ng populasyon na mayproblemang to ay nasa Mindanao, ay dapat 25% percent ngfunding, alam niyo ho yun din ang sinabi ni Joker Arroyo nungnagmumungkahi naman siya doon sa redistricting. Ang sagot

ko lang ho dun, para factual and honest: may pondo ho taon-taon e, kaya lang gastosin niyo within the fiscal year. Mayroonyung other factors: yung readiness to accept the intervention,the infusion of the capital. Baka ho may mga lugar, walatalagang developer pa dun. Pero hindi ako sasangayon na angsole criteria yung population. Pag sole criteria yung populationlang, palagay ko magkakaroon ng inevitable bureaucraticdelays in implementing anything. Instead yung maymatutulungan sa ibang lugar dahil nakaearmark po this area,

ipit yung pondo dahil di magamit, sayang. (i.e. We cannotreadily give a percentage of funding to localities correspondingto the percentage of the supposed beneficiaries of this project.There are other factors to consider such as; readiness to acceptintervention, infusion of capital, and presence of developer inthe area, and more importantly, the ability to use the saidfunds). (090926 02)

On Community Mortgage Program

Bakit kailangan centralized sa Maynila [ang processing ngloans?] Mukang wala nga hong logic doon. Pwede hongminimum, o magiiwan tayo ng parang offices in the main[islands] Luzon, Visayan, Mindanao muna. Tignan natin kungkayang gawin at least on a regional basis after that. (i.e.decentralize the CMP offices to cater to the needs of allFilipinos spread throughout the archipelago). (090926 02)

Kung uutang ho tayo, diba, mortgage e, tapos ibalik natin,

[para] may makinabang namang susunod. Maraming umutang,karamihan hindi nagbayad, naubos yung pondong paiikutindapat. Pero kung gagawin nga natin ang parte natin [katulad ngpagbabayad ng mortgage] siguro naman mas mapaparami atmas mapapamadali ang pagsasaayos ng problema. (i.e.Mortgage loans must be paid) (090926 02)

XIV. Labor and Employment


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95 million tayo ngayon, at 40 million yung unemployed. Pati angstatistics ng unemployment rate (ay) nadadagdag bawas na rin.3 papasukan natin: may trabaho, walang trabaho at kulang angtrabaho. Yung hindi naghahanap ng trabaho, wala rin pong

trabaho iyun. Mga 1 million ang nabawas na katao (mula sabilang ng ___.) May nagmagaling: kita niyo bumaba angunemployment ng 1 million, ibig sabihin po noon maytrabahong nakamit ang 1 milyon na ito. Hindi ho totoo yun.Binago lang ang definition.(Baseco)

Atras po tayo, paano ba yung trabaho para sapat ang kainin,para maayos yung tinitirahan? Paano yung kabuhayan namagtutustos lahat dun pati sa pag-aaral ng anak? Parang yun

ho ang 1

st

priority ko. (Baseco)

Noong unang punta ko pa lang po dito, ay maliwanag na poiyon. Ang daming ginugugol kagaya nung sa TESDA. Mag-imbentaryo po tayo dito ng kung anong opportunity sakapaligiran na panghanap buhay, tapos i-match natin sa tini-train ng TESDA doon. Isa iyun. Utusan mo ang TESDA - itodapat ang mga priority nyong gawin dito sa mga lugar na ito. I-match mo na i-training mo na yung training may pupuntahan.Hindi yung puro statistics. Ang na-train mo ay 1000 beauticians,yun pala wala namang beauty parlor sa lugar. Parangimbentaryo na rin natin. Ano ba ang meron dyan na pwedengpangkabuhayan o pang-abroad man lang? (Baseco)

Hindi ko pwedeng igarantya na lahat ay may hanap-buhay dahilyan na nga ho ang buod ng dapat nating gawin e. (090926 02)

XV. Land Use

On Land Titling

[Mayroon na ho tayong tinatawag na sistemang GPS] paramayroon tayong database para talagang i-mapout nga kungsinong nagmamay-ari ng lahat ng parcels ng lupa. [Peropinagkakabuhayan ito ng marami sa bureukrasya]. [Kapagpinalad po tayo,] pipilitin na number one gagawin yungdatabase. Number two, reconstituting titles, etc. Yung, di ko

alam yung technical ng pagsinasubdivide etong mga previous


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titleshindi dapat mahirap na processo yan pag tama na yungdatabase. (090926 02)

At siguro itong darating na budget itatanong ko na rin yun. Bakit

nga ba napakaraming fake na titulo? (090926 02)

Ngayon, yung land taking natin napakabigat na problema.Nakakahamper ng growth po natin, at aayusin natin talaga yan.(090926 02)

[Papasimplehin ho natin ang proseso ng land titling] dahil anggobyerno [ay itinatag] para paglinkuran kayo, hindi parapahirapan kayo. (090926 02)

On Land Use Policy

Dapat mayroong national land use policy. Tignan natinimplementation, tignan natin pano irerenew. (e.g. thestalagmites and stalactites is the caves in Baguio were alldiminished because the caves were used as drainage). (09092602)

XVI. Political Dynasties

I think we are all Asians here. We all value families. We allvalue reputation. We all value a good name. But only in politicsis it considered a liability. I dont understand why you shoulddeprive any state, anybody who has not been accused ofanything the ability to serve the people. (PCIJ Forum)

In our case, I dont know if you can really say that there hasbeen a transfer of power from one generation to another. My

father got elected in 67, his term ended in 73; the next in mydirect family was my mother in 86 who stepped down in 92. Ientered the fray in 98, six years, a presidency or a presidentialterm after my mothers term. Hence, the ability to have unduepower in our hands I think never really existed. But be that as itmay, is there a difference? This is a peoples campaign, as wewant to label it. Our funding comes from so many people fromso many walks of life. The posters if you have seen them, not asingle one has been made by me or my organization but by the

volunteers. When we talk to them, we do ask that this is not justa question of campaigning, that this is not just a question of


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guarding the ballot once the vote has been rendered. (PCIJForum)

XVII. Social Services

Si Mar, kung sasama sa atin at sinwerte kami pareho, iyan angtututukan niya. Education at ang Social services sector.(Baseco)

Direct Cash Transfer

(Isa sa ipagpapatuloy ang) direct cash transfer. Baka incentiveplan ito para manatili ang mga anak mo sa eskwela. Mayroong

subsidy sa iyo ang gobyerno. Medyo malaki-laki yung pera,(ngunit), hindi muna ako magbibgay ng detalye. Si DinkyJuliano-Soliman ay isang tumutulong sa atin bumuo (ngplataporma) at gumawa nito. Kapag tayo ay mapalad, sana aykasama natin siya.

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bsaiii policy pronouncements 10-31-09

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