Poe opening statement: More budget for Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines — Senator  Grace Poe, whose Filipino citizenship is being questioned, gave  her opening  statement  in  Filipino during the  first presidential  debate here on Sunday as she proposed to give   30 percent of the national budget to Mindanao.

The debate was  organized  by the Commission on Elections, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and  GMA Network .

While Mindanao is rich in resources, Poe wondered why the people in the region continue  to live in poverty.

“Marami na pong namuno  na may karanasan  pero ganun pa rin,” she said. “Ang kailangan  ay isang may tunay na malasakit, merong paninindigan at mabilis  kumilos at agarang makakapagbigay ng solution.”

“Napakaganda ng Mindanao. Hindi lang ating dapat puntahan ito, dapat pasalamatan ito. Pino-propose po namin. 30 percent ng ating budget ay mapunta  dito sa Mindanao para sa agarang solution ng development,”  Poe added.