Presidential frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong” Marcos Jr., stressed the need to institute policy reforms and programs which will create a peaceful balance between economic development and the environment.
“Nature has its rights that should be protected. It should be allowed to flourish, reproduce and attain its abundance side by side with human civilization in perfect balance and harmony with our growing communities,” he said at the sidelines of a provincial sortie.
“We should do this if we want to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society from the onslaught of natural calamities,” he added.
Among his plans is to create the Department of Disaster Resilience that will look in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an effective model of disaster resilience that integrates many other agencies.
“It should be integrated in the agencies like DOST for the forecast of the weather, LGUs for the preparedness, DSWD for response and NEDA for rehabilitation among others,” Marcos explained.
He will also institute the creation of industrial forest plantations to supply market demand for wood as an effort to promote reforestation.
Marcos said his administration will implement a collaborative relationship with all stakeholders in mining to make sure that it will not be abused. He said it will help in bringing back the country’s economy from the onslaught of the pandemic.
He is also planning to create the Department of Water and Resources Management to make sure that clean and potable water is available to every Filipino.
Marcos added he will also focus on solid waste management including “waste to energy programs” that will be an income generating initiative of his administration.
On the other hand, the presidential frontrunner said he is planning to create an ecology-based Disaster Risk Reduction program that should be addressed from the point of view of environmental degradation especially on forests, wetlands, coastal and marine and drylands.
Marcos cited the country is blessed with an abundant natural resources such as minerals, forest and agricultural lands, water, fisheries and others.
“The Philippines is even recognized as one of the leading producers of nickel in the whole world which is widely in demand abroad,” he noted.
Marcos also noted that the nation should maximize our resources to hasten the recovSery of the economy that was badly hit by the pandemic and natural disasters.
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