Noynoy Aquino – the problem solver we can trust

BENIGNO SIMEON C. AQUINO III : What’s important is I see problem and solve it
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

(Editor’s Note: The presidential profiles will be running in no particular order but as the stories come in from our reporters in the field.)

(Eighth of a series)

MANILA, Philippines—He looked more like a cockfighter’s kristo—a bet caller —than a presidential candidate as he waved a fistful of paper notes with one hand and held up the back of his sliding Paddock’s jeans with the other in a late-night rally in Zamboanga City whose size could rival that of an Eraserheads’ reunion concert.

With his thinning hair, stooped shoulders and awkward gait, Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III could not care less about his looks in a campaign where he faces the most expensive political bid ever mounted in the Philippines and one of the most vicious personal attacks against a presidential candidate in history.

In the course of the 90-day campaign, Aquino has proven that looks, and a person’s biodata, can be deceiving.

Put down by his critics at the start of the campaign as “walang alam”—a know-nothing—just like his late widowed mother who dared to challenge a brilliant but ruthless dictator in 1986, the 50-year-old Aquino has surprised a lot of his cynics with his self-confidence, keen grasp of major issues, and his diligence in doing his homework before facing the media and other organizations.

His opponents claimed that he would be unmasked in the presidential debates, but Aquino appeared intelligent, well-prepared and poised in these forums and was never the one to pass up on answering a thorny issue such as the Hacienda Luisita case and doubts on his state of mental health. He was modest, warm, folksy and appreciative when meeting people in motorcades and town rallies far from the cold and snotty hacendero he was pictured to be by his foes.

“He has grown before our eyes in the campaign and proved himself worthy as our next president. I never saw this side of Noy before, because he always looked ordinary to me being the son of a martyr and democracy’s saint,” said Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, an adviser to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a strategist of the administration candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro until a month ago, and a classmate of Aquino at Ateneo de Manila University.

“He has earned and gained a stature that is his own and has shown his mettle under pressure and amidst criticisms from his opponents. It was actually there all along and I have seen it up close, but I guess it’s only now that he is given the opportunity to show it to people other than his close friends,” said Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who backed out of the presidential race and has openly campaigned for Aquino’s election.

Trustworthy

Ramon del Rosario Jr., chair of the Makati Business Club, was surprised at how Aquino had weathered all the challenges in the campaign and remained as the leading candidate heading into the elections.

“I first met Noy in 1986 and I think he demonstrated throughout the campaign his leadership qualities, honesty, maturity, consistency and to take principled positions. He will be a strong, trustworthy president,” Del Rosario said.

manny villar : poverty can be eliminated

MANUEL B. VILLAR: It’s not impossible to end poverty

By Michael Lim Ubac, Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:32:00 05/06/2010

(Editor’s Note: The presidential profiles will be running in no particular order but as the stories come in from our reporters in the field.)

(Seventh of a series)

MANILA, Philippines—From selling seafood in Divisoria to leading the two chambers of the Philippine Congress, the boy from Moriones in Tondo, Manila, now wants to reside in Malacañang.

“Is it difficult to think that a poor fellow can also become President of the Philippines?” Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar asks rhetorically during his campaign rallies all over the country.

The real estate magnate and lone billionaire in the presidential derby shuns long introductions and quickly reminds the crowds about his humble beginnings in Tondo—once home to the Smokey Mountain dump, which in the 1980s became the symbol of crippling poverty in the country.

Critics, however, question his rags-to-riches story to the point of digging up his family income in the 1960s, which they say was of middle-class standards at the time. They sneer even at his campaign jingle: Did he really swim in a “sea of garbage” as a kid? Was Manila that filthy back then?

More recently, he denied wrongdoing and dismissed as mere politicking allegations that he pressured stock market officials in 2007 to bend trading rules and let him rake in earnings that now form part of his campaign kitty.

Brown ‘taipan’

Still, this “brown taipan” has attracted the biggest crowds in the presidential race—thanks largely to the “concert” troupe he brings along when touring major cities. Attendance in a Davao City rally last month, for instance, was pegged at 120,000, despite heavy rains, according to police estimates.

In his public addresses, Villar seems to stress that, for all his affluence, he should not be counted among the country’s Old Rich oligarchs. In fact, he considers their perennial lock on the country’s economic and political power as a hurdle to his antipoverty vision. (Insiders in the Villar camp say he has fully calculated the risks of making such statements.)

nicanor perlas – good governance and beyond

NICANOR P. PERLAS: New governance goes beyond gov’t

 By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:03:00 05/05/2010

(Editor’s Note: The presidential profiles will be running in no particular order but as the stories come in from our reporters in the field.)

(Sixth of a series)

MANILA, Philippines—“My first lady is the Philippines, Inang Bayan,” independent presidential candidate Nicanor Jesus Perlas III wrote on his Twitter account, “InaNickofTime,” on April 10.

But Perlas, who is separated from his American wife, did not type the “status update” himself. He had only relayed the message to a staffer via text message.

These days, Perlas hardly gets any time on the Internet like he used to, busy as he is traipsing across the country to woo voters in a no-frills campaign that runs on a budget of P4 million. The last time he checked his e-mail was “four to six weeks ago.”
But some habits are hard to break, even for the 60-year-old Perlas, a health buff who doesn’t smoke, drink and eat red meat.

He still tries to get at least five hours of sleep despite a hectic schedule and even if it means dozing off in the airport, his car or wherever his itinerary brings him. “I make sure (I get) no less than five hours of sleep,” he said, although he admitted that this was getting harder and harder to keep up.

For breakfast, he gets something light and fruity, like one Friday morning, when he started his day with a yogurt banana shake with a honey-calamansi-coconut juice drink on the side.

His main source of protein is fish. “No pork, beef or chicken for me,” he said.

When in the city, he stays in the Ortigas flat of his 20-year-old son Christopher Michael, a business management student at De La Salle University. Two years ago, he parted ways “by mutual, respectful and friendly agreement” with his wife Kathryn Carpenter, a teacher.

erap estrada – the president who will finish plans for the poor

JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA: I want to finish my plans for the poor

By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:43:00 05/04/2010

(Editor’s Note: The presidential profiles will be running in no particular order but as the stories come in from our reporters in the field.)

(Fifth of a series)

MANILA, Philippines—On a humid night in Tuguegarao City, where the earlier daytime temperature reportedly hit a sweltering 39 degrees Celsius, a crowd of around 5,000 came to see him and didn’t seem to mind the heat building up inside the Cagayan Sports Complex.

At 73 and even with a drawl, former President Joseph Estrada could still make multitudes hang on to his every word—whether it leads to a litany over what he maintained to be his “unlawful” ouster and conviction for plunder, or to one of his so-called “Eraptions.”

That night, he deftly combined both: “My beloved mother once told me, ‘what’s with you, Joseph? You didn’t finish your studies. You didn’t finish your presidency. Now, even your (jail) sentence, you didn’t finish.’”

The audience composed mostly of farmers, workers and vendors lapped it all up, their hearty laughter turning into cheers and chants of “Erap! Erap! Erap!”

But after delivering the punch line to full effect, Estrada shifted moods and made the follow-through in all earnest: “And so I promised her that time that I will finish the programs that I started for the Filipino masses.”

The scene had become a hallmark of almost every Estrada sortie since the former multi-awarded actor embarked on what could be his ultimate sequel: To regain the presidency after a disgraceful fall from power.

In between wisecracks, the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard-bearer would remind listeners that people didn’t have to form long lines for rations of rice during his abbreviated tenure in Malacañang, unlike during that of his predecessor Fidel V. Ramos or his successor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

presidentiables stand on how they will generate jobs

 

source: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20100501-267548/How-theyll-generate-jobs

How they’ll generate jobs 
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:13:00 05/01/2010

FILIPINOS CONTINUE TO LEAVE FOR JOBS OVERSEAS. THERE ARE SIMPLY not enough jobs available in the country. While remittances help keep the economy afloat, the social costs of a parent or spouse working abroad are huge. A bright spot is the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, which has absorbed tens of thousands of college graduates. But the BPO sector benefits mostly the middle class. It is closed to the poor who have less education. A big number of Filipinos are unemployed or underemployed or have simply given up hope of finding a job. How the next administration will address the unemployment problem can be gleaned from the answers of the presidential candidates to the following questions:

How will you generate jobs? What policies and programs will you pursue to create jobs?
What kind of jobs will be generated under your administration? What sectors, industries?
Will you encourage the export of labor?

Benigno Aquino III
Liberal Party

THE NO. 1 ITEM IN OUR PLATform is job generation. The theory is we could increase the quality and remuneration of jobs available here. It might not match those in other countries but with the added benefit of having your family and you are a first-class citizen here. We might have enough people who will decide to stay.

We want something like (US President Franklin) Roosevelt’s job creation program—building schools or public works projects with a big labor bias. If the project will not be delayed and it’s OK cost-wise, then we will choose a labor-intensive program.

We have so many areas that have a big potential like the BPO sector, IT and agriculture, particularly post-harvest production. Agriculture can be subdivided [into subsectors]. There are also many others that have not been exploited like fruits, [which can be processed into] fruit juices.

My understanding of the law is that the state cannot make it a policy to export our workers. Nevertheless, I want to make sure that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and our embassies and consulates really help all our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

A very significant portion of the population are OFWs outside the country. So the main point is that if they leave, it’s because they want to and not because they have to.
Interview by Philip Tubeza

 

JC de los Reyes
Ang Kapatiran

WORK IS A WAY OF FULFILLing part of our human potential given to us by God. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers, owners and managers must be respected—the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and join unions, to economic initiative, and to ownership and private property.

Ang Kapatiran shall ensure rapid and sustained economic growth for sustainable poverty reduction and better quality of life for all by:

Reviewing and rationalizing all outstanding public debts and limiting future government borrowings within the growth level of our exports or GDP;

Raising private and public savings rates to increase total investment rate;

Enhancing investments in human resource development, especially by strengthening education in the sciences, mathematics, engineering and English;

Streamlining government bureaucracy to reduce personnel expenditures;

Drastically improving tax administration and revenue collection;

Abolishing laws, rules and regulations that give government revenue personnel the discretion to allow or disallow certain deductions or exemptions;

Prioritizing agricultural development to attain a high degree of self-sufficiency by encouraging productivity through the introduction of new technologies and support-infrastructure;

Creating microfinance and other credit facilities for small enterprises by harnessing OFW remittances and more exports for economic development;

Encouraging livelihood through the formation of cooperatives and other small enterprises and development programs to alleviate poverty in the grassroots level;

Implementing the agrarian reform program;

Promoting industrialization by encouraging the expansion of useful industries, including telecommunications and information technology;

Attaining a stable balance of trade by encouraging the development of new export products and improving existing ones.

In summary, Ang Kapatiran shall work for a “job-filled society”—industrialization for the economic well-being of all, agricultural development, microfinance and other credit facilities for small- and medium-enterprises, and positive investment climate to reverse the outflow of OFWs.
Interview by Jerome Aning

 

Joseph Estrada
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino

WE WILL GET RID OF THE secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the New People’s Army (NPA). So we will start developing the countryside. Right now, the government cannot develop the countryside.

In the early ’50s and ’60s, informal settlers or squatters were concentrated in Metro Manila. Today, in all urban areas, there are squatters because the countryside remains undeveloped. There’s the NPA. In Mindanao, there’s the MILF.

We will concentrate on services and agriculture to generate jobs. When there’s peace and order, there’ll no longer be [adverse] travel advisories from other countries. We will improve our tourism.

We cannot stop the export of labor soon. Maybe within two to three years. It will take time to generate jobs. Like for example, during my time, if you will remember we planned to change the economic provisions of the Constitution so that we can generate jobs.

We will allow foreigners to own land here except agricultural land. If we allow foreigners to own land they can compete with our local realtors and once (they own land) they will develop that. Once they develop that, it will generate jobs.
Interview by Norman Bordadora

 

Richard Gordon
Bagumbayan

WE HAVE NATURAL TRAITS and skills for tourism. We can be the beach capital of the world. We have enough airports already. Our problem is we have to do some policy on certain airports to be declared “open skies.” Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have open skies.

The educational system is producing many hotel and restaurant management graduates. That is the future. Because of the tourism law which I authored, we can now invite more investors to build establishments without overtaxing the environment.

We can spread out hotels. Tourists will not want to go to Boracay every year. They want to go to new destinations. Our graduates can be tuned into tourism and entrepreneurship. But our education must also leapfrog to information technology. So you will want more software development.

We may have to export labor for a while, but we will encourage enhancing labor skills. I am not going to send a maid. I am going to send a governess. There is a value added.

We also have to make sure that we harness savings instead of encouraging a consumption-based economy. We will have a provident fund in which we are able to raise money from the savings of our overseas workers. Professional people should run the fund as they do it in Singapore.
Interview by Edson C. Tandoc Jr.

 

Presidential Aspirant Nicanor Perlas Calls for Election Postponement

Independent presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas and the Partido ng Marangal na Sambayanan (PANGMASA) called for a postponement of the national elections by three months during the presidential forum of Listen Mindanao at the Holy Cross University in Davao City this morning.

Perlas who warned the public of the strong possiblity of an ‘electronic Garci’ two months ago, said, “There is no way of determing the real winners of the automated election within 48 hours as the Comelec announced. The way things are being handled by the Comelec, the automated system will be the black hole of the election. Pushing through with the May 10 elections will just further plunge the country into chaos that is potentially violent.”

Nicanor Perlas cited the admission of the Comelec to glitches by an estimated 30% of the machines which will result in a manual count. He also mentioned that the Comelec admitted in a forum that the winners will not be known within 48 hours due to the sheer number of candidates. Moreover, he added, that absentee voting in Hongkong recently was marred by a malfunctioning machine that jammed and rejected ballots and that there is likewise a call for the review of the indelible ink contract and bidding process.

Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code and Rule 26 of Comelec’s Rules of Procedure allow the postponement of election for serious causes that prevent the holding of a free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible election.

“This election is suppose to resolve the legitimacy of the government that is under question due to the massive cheating and tampering of election results in 2004. But this is not going to happen the way Comelec’s preparations are going.The system is too complex. There are too many loopholes and too many changes even now with elections just three weeks away , that the electorate is not assured of a free, orderly and honest election.”, added Perlas.

Perlas in various presidential fora had earlier issued the warning of a repeat of the Garci scenario. “The probability is increasing every day for cheating facilitated by electronic devices. What will happen is that there may be an election but there will be failure of election.”, he stated. To avert such a failure, Perlas had proposed a manual count fall back option in a hybrid balloting, stating that even Germany and the Netherlands had scrapped automated elections after discovering that a high school student could hack the voting machines.

Nicanor Perlas is holding nationwide consultation and discussion with his supporters for possible actions in a failure of elections scenario.

Media Contact:

Cecille Ferrer(Media)-02-6345058/09178997603/09155336185
Tammy Dinopol(Campaign)-09209064793
Dave D’Angelo (PANGMASA)-09165450452

GMA has more than one presidential bet – Perlas

Nicanor Perlas on an article published in “The Visayan Daily Star” revealed that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has clearly more than one presidential bet. He based this revelation based on the current developments and his rival candidates body language.

Independent presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas yesterday warned voters to be careful about whom they vote for because President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo “has more than one horse in the presidential race.”

“She is a survivor, she wants to survive,” Perlas said at a press conference at the Business Inn in Bacolod City.

“The May 2010 elections is not going to be an ordinary election, it can plunge us back to a legal form of martial law or dictatorship,” he said, if the people are not careful about whom they elect for president.

There are a number of presidential candidates who are allies of Arroyo, it is not just administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro, and it is up to the public to figure out who they are, Perlas, who was campaigning in Bacolod City, said.

“It is so clear in the presidential forums, just see who avoid the questions on what they will do to GMA if they become president. It is very clear from the answers who are aligned with her,” he said.

He said if a pro-Arroyo president and a majority of her allies running for seats in the Lower House win, she will be able to become speaker of the House and move towards a parliamentary form of government.

Read full article here http://www.visayandailystar.com/2010/April/06/topstory4.htm

Controversial Video of Nick Perlas on GMA 7 Kandidato

It will only take less than 30 minutes to watch the attached videos.  But, it will give you a very good idea about Nicanor Perlas, his platform, his stand on certain issues, and his character.  The exchange between the panel of hosts and Nick are rapid-fire so there’s no boring moment.  I encourage you to watch this, especially if you are still in the process of deciding who you will be voting for president this coming elections.  And even if you have decided on a candidate already but haven’t studied or heard about all the other candidates, this is also for you.  And for those who are already supporters of NP (Nicanor Perlas, new politics and new Philippines) , please pass this to your friends and encourage them to watch this.

This election is probably one of the most important in our history.  30 years of traditional politics have destroyed our institutions and our values.  The power is in our hands to say ENOUGH.  Before making your choice, ask yourself what is your highest aspiration for our country.  Then study the track record of each candidates versus their platforms and their stand on issues.  Then, make your choice. Please forget about “winnability, ” please don’t choose on the basis of the lesser evil.  You are doing yourself and the future generations of Filipino a disservice.  Vote what your heart and your conscience tell you.  This is the least we can do for our children and for millions of Filipino children.

He does not have an unlimited advertising budget – but he has everything else it takes to be the President our country needs.

Please take 30 minutes to watch Nicanor Perlas’ powerful interview on GMA’s Kandidato. Then see if he really deserves your vote.

Part 1 – http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=382722992014&ref=nf

Part 2 – http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=382738147014&ref=nf

If you need more info please text 0908-8-PERLAS( 737527), call 02-4669520 or visit www.nicanor-perlas.com

–More about Perlas on the Internet–

Radio Interviews
http://www.zshare.net/audio/73043426733c8f8e/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/7325275417bc0252/Rock

Biography:
http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/About-Nicanor- Perlas/biography-nicanor-perlas.html

Complete Platform
http://nicanor-perlas.com/Nicanor/complete-platform2.html

presidentiables stand on cha-cha and arroyo as speaker

we are publishing here full article from PDI’s Talk Of The Town to get to know the presidentiables’ stand on issues. (source: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20100327-261174/Stand-on-Charter-change-Arroyo-as-Speaker)

MANILA, Philippines—Every president after the Aquino administration supported moves to amend the 1987 Constitution. Fidel Ramos tried it through Pirma, a signature campaign that sought to lift term limits; Joseph Estrada through Concord (Constitutional Correction for Development) that pushed for allowing foreigners to own land; and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo via a signature campaign and later through a constituent assembly that called for a shift to a parliamentary form of government.

Will the next President also push for Charter change (Cha-cha)?

Know their stand from their answers to the following questions:

Are there provisions in the 1987 Constitution that need to be amended? If yes, what are these? Why?

Are you in favor of a shift to a parliamentary form of government? If yes, what mode (constitutional convention, constituent assembly or people’s initiative aka signature campaign)? When do you think the country should adopt a parliamentary government? Why a parliamentary system?

Would you support President Macapagal-Arroyo should she seek the speakership in the House of Representatives? Why? [Ms Arroyo is running for representative in her home province, Pampanga.]

 

Benigno Aquino III
Liberal Party

The need for amendments to the Constitution, and whether there’s a public clamor have yet to be determined. I will support the creation of a body to determine these. If the Constitution must be amended, it should be through a constitutional convention.

The current administration more than anything else has shown us that the 1987 Constitution has loopholes that could be abused in order to stay in power. I am in favor of tightening the Constitution against these abuses at the start of the presidential term to avoid suspicion of foul play.

Nobody has presented yet an argument that makes a parliamentary shift urgent which shows that the country is really at risk with the present form of government that you have to change it.

No (I will not support President Macapagal-Arroyo should she seek the speakership in the House of Representatives.).

Having Ms Arroyo as the Speaker would make it hard for us to find closure to all of the anomalies of her administration. The Liberal Party and our allies in the House will oppose her plans. Submitted by Aquino’s staff

 

Joseph Estrada
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino

Didn’t I start that with Concord? The provision on the ownership of land except agricultural land. I will let foreigners own land. The only ones benefiting from the current provision are big-time realtors like the Ayalas. They buy several hundreds of thousands of hectares and speculate. In the meantime the property remains idle.

If we allow foreigners to come in, there will be competition. If foreigners are allowed to buy land, they will develop it. Jobs will be generated. At the same time, we will collect taxes on idle lands.

No (I’m not in favor of a parliamentary form of government.). This is the only time that the marginalized people or the masa can have that equality with the elites to elect a President.

Under the parliamentary set-up, the masa will not be able to elect the President they want. It will be their representatives.

I am amenable to a parliamentary form with a strong President, who will be elected (by the voters).

If I have my way, I prefer a constitutional commission. I’ll let all sectors—the farmers, workers—choose the best five among them. Thirty percent will come from the academe—the retired deans of UP, Ateneo.

A constitutional convention would be very expensive. Besides, the politicians would again come in. The politicians would again win there.

(GMA as Speaker) is so demeaning to the Office of the President. In the first place, she should not run for any office. She has become the President for nine years, longer than the six-year term under the Constitution. That’s more than enough.

She will have undue advantage. That’s why the incumbent President is prohibited from running for reelection. She will have undue advantage over any opponent because of government resources at her command. It’s the same thing she did to FPJ. She used Pagcor, the PCSO, public works, road users’ tax, agriculture, fertilizer funds. She used the police. She used the military. Interview by Norman Bordadora

 

Richard Gordon
Bagumbayan

There is a lot to amend in our Constitution. First, do we want a presidential or parliamentary form of government?

If it’s parliamentary, then we should have a multi-party system. If it’s presidential, we should have a two-party system. But I think the parliamentary system is not suited to us.

Look at how we quickly change our minds on our Presidents and how quickly our congressmen change loyalties. We should consider the parliamentary system once we have developed a true party system.

Second, I want the bill of duties and obligations for citizens to be amended. When I take over the government, I will set the tone. The people have rights but they also have duties.

Third is in terms of land use. I will open up foreign investments in land but they should not own mineral, forest or agricultural lands. They can go on joint ventures. And if they get commercial or residential lots, they cannot sit on it for three years. They have to utilize it.

Fourth, I would open up media for foreign participation so we will really have a competitive media and better paid journalists to remove the AC-DC (attack-collect and defend-collect) culture. We don’t really have a free press. Whoever has the money plays the tune. Maybe not all the media, but certainly we all notice this.

Fifth, I would remove the constrictions on bases or bringing in foreign troops to our country. Why are we voluntarily restricting ourselves from calling on an ally to help us? Do we still have to amend the Constitution if we are invaded or if we have a problem?

Sixth, I will also remove term limits except for the President. I would like local government leaders to have six-year terms. The voters should be the one to decide the term limits.

If she (GMA) is elected member of the House Representatives, she can be a Speaker. I would not necessarily support her. I would look for a better alternative. I don’t even favor her running for Congress.

But how will I deal with a House with GMA as Speaker? The President has plenty of powers. The Speaker is always subject to the President’s favor. Interview by Edson C. Tandoc Jr.

 

Manuel Villar
Nacionalista Party

I personally believe that a review might be warranted since the Constitution was made when the Philippines, the world and the circumstances were different. However, I leave it up to our people.

If elected, I will consider calls for Charter change but that will not be a priority. The tools are available to improve institutions to spur economic and political development. The next President must first get the trust and confidence of the people by acting immediately to address the more pressing needs such as jobs and opportunities, food, shelter and security. Whether or not there will be a clamor to change the Constitution, it should not be a cause to divide the nation.

The economic provisions should be reviewed to ensure that citizens will benefit in the form of long-term opportunities and to make the country competitive for foreign investment.

(On the shift to a parliamentary form of government), I have no preference one way or another because I see our country’s problem as more a lack of leadership.

No (I won’t support GMA should she seek the speakership.) She is not my party mate and I will support a Nacionalista Party candidate for Speaker to ensure that the party’s objective of poverty alleviation can be carried out legislatively. Submitted by Villar’s staff

 

presidentiables stand on population growth

we are publishing here the whole article published by PDI on the presidentiable’s stand on population growth.

—-

How they stand on population
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:51:00 03/06/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Talk of the Town is running the stand of presidential candidates on a number of issues, starting with the country’s fast-growing population, now estimated at more than 92 million.

We asked the candidates the following questions:

* Under your administration, what would be your population policy?

* Are you in favor of artificial family planning methods like pills, condoms and IUDs?

* Do you support proposals to teach sex education in all schools, public and private, starting Grade 5?

* Do you think the country’s population growth stunts socioeconomic development and aggravates poverty?

* What is your stand on the reproductive health bill? Has your position changed? Why? (House Bill No. 5043 calls for sex education in all schools starting Grade 5 and the promotion of contraceptives, among other things.)

Except for Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Villar, whose staff submitted their respective answers, the candidates were interviewed by Inquirer reporters covering the presidential campaign.

————

Benigno Aquino III
Liberal Party

My administration will fully support the crafting of a firm policy that will address the serious problem on population. It will be based on the idea of responsible parenthood: imposing on parents that they should play a key role in ensuring that each and every child they bring into this world has the opportunity to lead a good life, and educating them about the means with which to plan their families so they can create families based on their ability to sustain their needs.
In the process of providing a range of options and information to couples, both natural family planning and modern methods shall be presented.

Children’s access to media, especially the Internet, necessitates an earlier (sex) education for them to be able to act as responsible adults. The sex education curriculum should be morally sound, has to be derived from reliable sources and delivered by responsible educators.

If we intend to maximize our resources and ensure that the basic needs of every citizen are met, the population issue has to be addressed. For instance, even now, we sorely lack textbooks and classrooms to accommodate our current student population. While this is also a problem because of corruption, it will be more difficult to fix the situation if we have to keep up with a soaring population.

I believe the reproductive health bill must be examined. One of the points I wish to interpellate is the bill’s provision of a hospital budget for contraceptives. If government hospitals will have it, that means there’s a budget for it. There is a truism that if you have a budget and you don’t spend it you’ll lose it. This might lead to hospital staff pushing people into using contraceptives instead of presenting them as a choice. There has to be penalties against that. Submitted by Aquino’s staff

 

——————-

Joseph Estrada
Pwersa ng Masa

One of our major problems is (a fast-growing) population. During my time as President, the population growth rate was more than two percent. That means more than a million children were born every year.

We built classrooms but we still lacked classrooms. Hundreds of thousands of children are undernourished. The problem is (lack of) family planning. I am against abortion. With the many problems that we have, I believe that women should be given the freedom to plan the family that they can afford.

Prevention (of pregnancy) is not a crime. Abortion is a crime. Perhaps we can use condoms or other forms of contraception. Do we want our children to become criminals? It would be much more of a burden. Do we want them to become prostitutes? We have to weigh these things.
Interview by Norman Bordadora

 

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Richard Gordon
Bagumbayan

My population policy is simple: no abortion. I will not make the population as an excuse—95 million people are going to be there when I sit as President. I have been brought up believing that man, if he is properly educated, has a free choice.

Responsible parenthood should be inculcated in our people. But I will not force them. Neither will I spend government funds to curb population. I want a quality population.

A huge population under poor leadership will stunt our development. But good leadership will uplift the capability of our people and use the population as an edge later on.

You will not graduate under my administration in high school without learning a skill that you can work with. The size of our population right now is a disadvantage, but it can be an advantage under the right leader.

It is up to the people to use contraceptives. But I will say: “These are the healthy ones. These are the safe ones.” To me, health and education are No. 1. They go side by side. So I want to pay the teachers well. I want to pay the doctors in the countryside P50,000 each. If I can raise the money the way I want to, I can pay them P70,000 so they can stay in the country.

I am also in favor of sex education in schools, rather than have our children learn it on the street. Sex is a good thing. It should be taught properly. This is important because of the explosion of mass media and the Internet. I would rather have children learn it from their parents or from the school.

I don’t think the RH bill will be approved. I cannot say yes or no to the bill because it will still permutate when it is discussed in Congress. But I am for the responsible use of population and responsible parenthood. If push comes to shove, I would say “if you have more than two children, then you will pay” for the third child’s public education and health services. Interview by Edson Tandoc

 

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Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD

My population policy will [be based on] freedom of moral choice. The government should support a moral choice made by the people. We will encourage private sector participation, through NGOs, to inform the people.

I will respect the sanctity of a decision to plan the family based on a moral choice. But once a moral choice is made, the government must support that choice, except for abortion.

If a person makes that moral choice [on artificial family planning methods], based on his conscience, and ask the government for help, then the government must help him.

As a policy, it’s freedom of choice. And that choice should be secret and sacred. The privacy of that choice is important.

I think we were taught reproduction and other elements of sex education in Grade 7 in a Catholic school. So, I think it depends on the school. Let’s make it not a policy but dependent on the school.

It (the country’s population growth) does (stunt socioeconomic development and aggravate poverty) at this stage. We can only provide so much for how many people. But equally important to the economic impact of population is the fact that the Philippines has finite territory and the population is increasing. We have a limited number of resources and many areas are getting more vulnerable because of the effects of climate change.

I originally wanted to support it (RH bill). But I saw the acrimony over the bill and it was not getting anywhere. So, what does that do? Population is still growing. We might have to find another way. And that balance I see is to support a moral choice.

(My position changed) when the debate became heated . As a public figure, you get a sense of the balance and you have to make a judgment call. Is this policy workable or practicable? If it’s not you have to find a way to solve the problem.

When I was a congressman, I never supported any RH bill. Officially I did not support it. But personally, “baka puwede (it might be possible).” Only in this Congress has there been an almost serious attempt to do it, and it has created a lot of acrimony. Interview by TJ Burgonio

 

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Manuel Villar
Nacionalista Party

I am basically prolife. I think the teaching of proper values of how to nurture children and parents’ responsibilities to them should be hammered constantly.

Those (artificial family planning methods) are personal choices and should remain as such. I do respect the people’s independence, freedom of choice with regard to family matters.

It (sex education in all schools) might result in more serious problems if we expose children to the matter of sex at the Grade 5 level.

Our current population should be viewed as an asset and ways should be discovered on how economic growth can be helped by population size. India and China are growing fast and they are the most populated countries in the world.

I’m against it (the RH bill). We should let parents decide. The government should just guide them. Submitted by Villar’s staff