Roxas offers strategies to address poverty, hunger

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas at the proclamation rally of the "Daang Matuwid" coalition in his hometown, Roxas City, Capiz province. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas at the proclamation rally of the “Daang Matuwid” coalition in his hometown, Roxas City, Capiz province. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A country with people aiming high, free of hunger and free from fear.

That was how Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas described his vision for the Philippines if elected President.

Roxas offered solutions to the problems of the country before least 10,000 supporters of administration candidates during the proclamation rally of the “Daang Matuwid” coalition in his hometown on Tuesday.

“Para sa mga hindi pa nakakaalam, paano natin ipagpapatuloy ang Daang Matuwid? Simple lang ang programa natin ay nakatutok sa tagumpay ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Sisiguraduhin natin na ang bawat pamilya ay malaya sa gutom, malaya sa takot at malayang mangarap. Yan ang ating ipinaglalaban, yan ang alam ko, yan ang kaya ko, at yan ang gagawin nating lahat,” he told his supporters clad in yellow shirts in the vote-rich Panay region.

President Benigno Aquino III and all senatorial candidates of the ruling Liberal Party were present at the rally.

Roxas was the last to give a speech. Before him, Aquino, LP vice presidential bet Leni Robredo and each senatorial candidate spoke before thousands of supporters.

How to free the country from hunger? Roxas’ answer is boosting the Philippine tourism and creating more jobs in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

He said the IT-call center BPO industry gives jobs to more than 1 million Filipinos.

“Itong industriyang ito, mahigit dalawampung bilyong dolyar ang pinapasok sa ating bansa. Nagawa ko na ito dati, sigurado ako magagawa natin ito muli,” he said.

He also introduced the “Daang Matuwid Bukid Revolution” that would particularly help those in the agriculture and fishery sector.

“Una, murang pautang para di mauubos sa mataas na interes at amortization ang kinikita ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Pangalawa, mas marami pang imprastruktura para mas madali at sariwa maparating sa mga malalaking pamihilihan ang mga produkto nila at pangatlo dagdag pa more na mga post-harvest facilities tulad ng mga dryer, chillers para mas malaki ang recovery ng inaani nila,” said Roxas.

And how he would free the country from fear?  Roxas made this promise: “Ang   ating sagot katiyakan, katiyakan sa tinitirhan, paparamihin pa natin lalo ang mura at disenteng mga pabahay sa mga walang tinitirhan.”

He again noted the continued expansion of PhilHealth coverage. At present, 90 million citizens are covered by PhilHealth.

Roxas also wants to give security to the people in times of calamities and disasters. “Katiyakan kapag may unos ng kalamidad, meron kang masasandalang gobyerno na hindi bibitiw sa inyo,” he said.

Like other presidential candidates, he also vowed to address criminality by improving the police force and the justice system.

On his promise to inspire Filipinos to aim high, Roxas said  he would give them hope that they can be saved from poverty through education.

He would make this possible by continuing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) which Aquino started.

“Kaya meron tayong 4Ps dedepensahan natin ang 4Ps, itataguyod natin ang 4Ps, papalawakin pa natin ang 4Ps para mas marami pang pamilya sa ating bansa ang makakarating sa araw tulad na ito na makikita nila ang kanilang mga anak na aakyat sa entablado,” he said.

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