Luckily, I was able to listen to Grace Poe's twenty-point program from my celfone radio while I was riding home from my meditation class yesterday . She sounded very natural, speaking all about those grand plans she has which will affect everyone all over the land -- Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Now it does not send me goose pimples anymore listening to a woman brave political waters. It just seems so normal, so human, so au courant. We are no longer the butt of jokes, nor are we belittled for our desire to serve this country.
I remember having faced some commissioners of Comelec before to justify my running for senator. The chair was sniggering in his seat looking at me as if I was some kind of an alien in this country having those ideals that are "passe." Huwag tayong magsasalita ng patapos, wika nga. Behind every cloud, the sun is still shining.
Going back to Grace's items, I could see that in the future, should she win, she would be a hands-on president. In her speech, she went through the nitty-gritty detail of every problem we have like in education where she wants us to go digital and for the young to have access to scholarships as well as pay-later school fees' schemes. Then she also mentioned our farmers, artists, and sports people as recipients of government support.
Here is the full program she mentioned:
1. ...(W)e must attend to the needs of our classrooms. We should maximize digital technology for education, and eliminate backlogs. We shall strive to expand our scholarship programs and strengthen the “Study now, pay later” program. We will also help college students find internships and jobs to gain invaluable experience even before they graduate.
2. We shall work for the flourishing of the agricultural sector. We will heed their longing for land to till. Irrigation is still badly needed in half a million hectares of land. We will push for mechanization. We need an effective program to make fishing, farming and livestock propagation profitable for our farmers and the youth.
3. We will make infrastructure development our priority, whether in terms of streets, trains, airports, seaports or the internet. I will strive to increase the annual infrastructure budget to 7% of the GDP. The government will support the private sector in formulating an industrialization and IT plan. As more products “Made in the Philippines” flourish, more jobs will be created. This should be done while taking care of our environment.
4. No one man or group holds a monopoly on “Tuwid na Daan”. President Aquino has done much to curb corruption and I am thankful that it has restored the people’s faith in an honest leader.
It is only right to continue the fight against corruption. We will hold the corrupt accountable, whether they be friend or foe. This should be the crusade of every Filipino, not just one person or party.
To strengthen transparency in government, I will push for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill at the soonest possible time.
5. We have one of the highest tax rates in the world. My aim is to lower these.
People know what their needs are and they have a right to choose how to spend their hard-earned money. But if government lowers taxes, we should reciprocate by paying the right taxes. And this I guarantee: Every peso you pay will be returned to you in fast and quality service.
6. We need to examine if we are giving our workers and government employees fair wages and benefits. Their work and service will suffer while their own families starve. Every worker needs a decent and legal source of income.
7. A large percentage of a family’s earnings goes to paying for electricity. We need to find a way to lower power costs. In many parts of Mindanao, brownouts are a frequent occurence. We will ensure sufficient power to fuel a growing economy, especially in Mindanao. We shall see to the development of renewable energy.
8. We will value our OFWs and take care of them. We will provide them with proper legal support overseas and reduce the fees and red tape that they currently put up with just to have their papers processed.
9. As a mother, I am deeply troubled by the proliferation of crime and drugs. Like every parent, I cannot rest easy until my children are home safe at night. For me, the elimination of drugs and crime is not just a job. It is my personal crusade. I will make sure the police have the required discipline and skills to immediately deal with crime. Their job is not just to log crimes, but to catch the criminals.
10. We will pursue peace with all groups. Filipinos should need no longer kill fellow Filipinos. With peace, real progress can touch all corners of the country.
To our Moro brothers, your culture and heroism were the inspiration for many of my father’s films. After a long and hard history, it is time that you are given equal opportunities and genuine assistance.
11. We should respect human rights. We will not be blind to the conditions of our vulnerable sectors, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, urban poor, women, youth and children, the LGBT sector and senior citizens. To all senior citizens, you will not be ignored. My own mother has asserted that the older one gets, the more he/she should feel government’s care.
12. Everyone’s health is important. No family should be driven to bankruptcy by illness or be made to choose between food or medicine for their sick loved ones. Our people should be able to rely on expanded health benefits through Philhealth. I will ensure that each community has a proper hospital, staffed with enough doctors, nurses and midwives, and with all the necessary equipment, medicine and supplies.
13. The West Philippine Sea is ours. We will protect our right through peaceful means, and according to international law. We will beef up our Coast Guard and armed forces so that we need not be intimidated by other countries.
14. The traffic situation takes away not just our precious time, it tests our patience. It eats up valuable time that we would otherwise have spent at work or with our loved ones.
15. We should do the following: We should build more roads and trains not only in Metro Manila but all over the Philippines. We should ensure that our train project is awarded to a contractor with strong capability and track record in long-term maintenance. We should clean our drainage systems. We should provide coats and boots for the people who manage our traffic. We should remove all colorum and illegally parked vehicles. We should implement staggered office hours. No roadwork should be left unfinished. We should immediately fire contractors who don’t stick to the approved timetable.
16. The internet is just like a highway. It is a conduit for information. It should be fast. Many jobs will become more productive with faster internet connection. Kids will finish their homework faster and we can more easily talk to our loved ones working overseas without any Skype delays. When it comes to the internet, connecting should not take Forever.
17. Arts, culture and sports deserve the government’s attention. We are recognized internationally as a creative race of visual artists, writers and performers, but we do not value them ourselves. They bring us honor, so we should support them. Our athletes too need our support. We should never give up on our dream to win an Olympic gold medal.
18. Let us not forget the reality of climate change. This is not just a middle class issue; the poor will be hardest hit by its effects. We should have a separate Emergency Management Department that will focus on national preparedness, climate change and geo-mapping.
19. Tourism is another sector that needs our attention. A vibrant tourism industry will create new jobs for Filipinos, even those in far-flung areas. Our country is filled with beautiful tourist destinations, but the industry will never fully succeed if we don’t provide sufficient infrastructure and build more airports.
20. Children are the nation’s treasure. They are our present and future. And yet, they do not stand a chance if they do not receive proper nutrition. Many children continue to starve and waste away. It is time to create a Standard Lunch Program in all public schools.
Actually the list seems like an indictment of what this administration has not done fully for the people despite its five-year existence in office.
Time will tell if we will be able to see Grace realize all those dreams -- as she said, everyone can dream. Actually, we, all of us -- the Filipino race are dreamers. But some people killed our ability to dream and to realize them; and so many are going abroad, have gone abroad and are staying out of the country to find out if they could still live out their dreams.
The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
No comments:
Post a Comment