Isko Moreno to prioritize food security, housing, health if elected president

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Saturday won the hearts and minds of Caviteňos as he brought his pro-poor agenda to Cavite.

In a town hall meeting in Naic, Cavite, the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer vowed that if elected president, he will give the people a government that focuses on the plight of the ordinary people, a government that listens and cares for their needs.

“Alam ko na marami sa inyo, bago magpandemya, hirap ang buhay. Mangyari pa lalo tayong dinikdik ng pandemya. Mahirap ang maging mahirap,” the former squatter-turned-mayor said to more than a thousand ordinary folks and housewives.

“Umasa kayo, sa awa ng Diyos at sa tulong ninyo, pag pinalad ako, magkakaroon kayo ng gobyernong masasandalan, may tenga, matatakbuhan, at inuunawa at dinidinig kayo,” Moreno said.

To achieve a government for the people, Moreno said his administration would prioritize providing the minimum basic needs – food, housing, health, education, and jobs.

To bring immediate relief to the people, the 47-year-old presidential aspirant said the first policies he would institute is to cut by 50 percent the taxes of petroleum products and electricity by 50 percent to bring more food on the table, raise family income and provide extra savings.

While the twin tax cuts may result in some P130 billion in revenue losses to the government, he said it will ease the plight of the poor and provide them the wherewithal to survive the pandemic in the next two years.

“Ninanais ko lang na umatras muna ng konti ang gobyerno, umabante ng kaunti ang tao. Yung pagkalugi ng gobyerno, siyang kapakinabangan ng tao. Yung mabilis na pamamaraan, ng matikman kaagad ng tao, yung ibsan yung suliranun niya — murang bilihin, makapagtrabaho, murang pamasahe, murang koryente,” Moreno said.

He said he would also build more modernized public housing, public hospitals, and public-school buildings around the country, like what he did in Manila.

Under the leadership of Moreno, the City Government of Manila has built vertical housing units like Tondominium and Binondominium; built modern public hospitals like the Bagong Ospital ng Maynila and the Corazon C. Aquino General Hospital; built a Covid Field Hospital, and built 10-story modern public-school buildings.

Social assistance for senior citizens was also instituted, and public-school students were given tablets with free bandwidth for their online education.

Moreno said he chose to serve and give his time and energy to the people because it was the ordinary people who trusted and elected him to public office.

“Tao ang kumarga sa akin, tao ang bumuhat sa akin kaya ang utang na loob ko sa taong bayan. Sa inyo lang ako humuhugot ng lakas ng loob,” he said.

He said even his choice of running mate and senatorial slate show his concern and love for the masses.

Moreno’s running mate Dr. Willie Ong, who is a heart specialist, has been providing the poor with free medical care for years now

Meanwhile, Samira Gutoc is advocating for the rights of the evacuees and marginalized sectors, Carl Balita promotes education, health and livelihood among the less privileged, and Jopet Sison’s advocacies include free legal services for the masses.

“Kayo ang pinili ko, dahil mahal na mahal ko kayo,” Moreno said to the warm applause of Caviteňos.

/MUF