Presidential bets woo voters with plans, promises

Addressing the climate crisis can create jobs and opportunities for Filipinos, Vice President Leni Robredo asserted on Friday, as she bared plans to, among others, make the disaster-vulnerable Philippines a center for the climate industry should she win the presidency.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Robredo presented her five-point, P192-billion “Hanapbuhay Para Sa Lahat” job recovery agenda aimed at empowering a working force often disenfranchised by weak labor policies and programs.

Broadly, the plan seeks to strengthen key industries such as the maritime and technology sector, invest more support for micro, small and medium (MSMEs) enterprises and provide safety nets for those who lose their jobs.

She also plans to strengthen the country’s antitrust and transparency policies to spur investor confidence, and to allow MSMEs to participate in government procurement.

These, she said, are not “mere promises but clear plans that stand on clear principles and solid track records. You can be assured that I will fight for these.”

One of the most striking parts of her agenda is her focus on the climate crisis: establishing climate-resilient infrastructure and crafting more sustainable and modern practices in agriculture.

“Linking jobs to climate resilience is all the more important to us and [should] be inseparable,” she told a press conference.

But to do this, the country first needs to chart a road map to transition away from fossil fuel to renewable energy, she said.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, for his part, on Friday vowed to strengthen the Navy and the Coast Guard’s capability to patrol and protect the islands from foreign intruders, saying that China “will come to its senses” once the Philippines shows its mettle in defending its waters and territory.

In a radio interview, Domagoso said a fully modernized Navy and Coast Guard meant that Filipino fisher folk would get to enjoy “undeterred, peaceful and productive fishing opportunities” in the disputed areas in the South China Sea.

The mayor also vowed to fight for the country’s claim over Sabah should he be elected as president.

“If it is ours historically and we have a valid claim about it, then we must pursue it,” he said.

Meanwhile, presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Friday vowed to protect and promote human rights, and not resort to extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in ending crime and illegal drugs.“Instead of resorting to EJKs to fight criminality and illegal drugs, the government should invest in modern crime fighting tools like police helicopters with thermal scanners and night vision capabilities, body cameras, surveillance cameras and biometric devices including facial recognition devices,” he said.