Prexy bets offer plans for renewable energy, water supply
MANILA, Philippines — Six presidential candidates presented their plans for renewable energy sources and water supply on Sunday in the second debate organized by the Commission on Elections.
Asked about energy sources were labor leader Leody de Guzman, Vice President Leni Robredo, and former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.
“There should be a strong decision that would let us do away or let go of coal plants, especially because these are the dirtiest sources of energy. Let’s do away with fossil fuels and let’s speed u the shift to renewable energy,” De Guzman said in Filipino.
“We Filipinos should give a high contribution to fight climate change in our country, and the government should initiate the funding for renewable energy,” he added.
Planning comes first for Robredo.
“The first thing we should do is to fix the roadmap. What are our target milestones every few years? So that our target goes there,” she said.
“Let’s take care of service contracts. Let’s take care of sources of renewables. We already know that we’re on our way there. So we have to invest,” she added.
Abella reiterated his focus on developing agriculture to address the issue.
“The flagship project of my administration is to make agriculture a mega-industry in which we incorporate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable,” he said.
He also urged the youth to participate in caring for the environment.
Sufficient water supply
Three other presidential candidates were asked about the water supply — Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, and Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
“My countrymen, I will make this watershed protected if we can rebuild and make it better for efficient use of it in a two-prong [approach] again: You have water for irrigation and you have water as an energy source. Then I will invest in that,” Moreno said.
“In my view, national planning is needed,” Gonzales said. “Let’s plant where there is water, and the water that we can get from there we will divert to houses.”
Lacson raised the need to invest in research and development.
“Why don’t we invest a much bigger amount of our national budget on research and development? In that way, we can collect water from the rain and benefit from it, not only for irrigation in our agriculture but for the daily needs of our countrymen,” he said.
During the rebuttal portion, Sen. Manny Pacquiao stressed the need for a Department of Water.
“The point here is there’s a need to have a regulatory body when it comes to water. That is why we need a Department of Water,” he said.
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