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.
