MANILA, Philippines — Several presidential candidates vowed that they will focus on boosting the agriculture sector, while others said they will prioritize aiding small businesses badly hit by the pandemic to hasten the country’s economic recovery.
Former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody de Guzman and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said at the first Comelec presidential debate that they want to prioritize agriculture should they get elected to the presidency in the May polls.
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Abella said he plans to turn the country into an “agricultural powerhouse,” which he said would also lead to the development of other industries.
“Ang pinakamahalaga pong bigyang tugon ay ang agrikultura para po makapag-provide ng food and jobs,” he said.
(The most important thing is to give attention to agriculture so we can provide food and jobs.)
De Guzman, meanwhile, said he plans to revive the agriculture sector to ensure food security by repealing the rice tariffication law that eased levies on rice imports.
“Itigil natin ang rice tariffication law, isuspinde natin iyan o i-repeal natin ang rice tariffication law at magkaroon ng roadmap sa pagpapaunlad ng ating agrikultura para lumikha ng maraming pagkain,” he said.
(Let us stop the rice tariffication law, let us suspend it or repeal it and let us create a roadmap to develop agriculture to create more food.)
Domagoso, meanwhile, said that there is a need to invest in farmers and post-harvest facilities, and look into the prices of fertilizer and fuel which they use.
“Ang pinakaimportanteng ekonomiya ay ang ekonomiya ng sikmura. (The most important economy is the economy of the gut),” he said. “Food security is the thrust.”
Sens. Ping Lacson and Manny Pacquiao and Vice President Leni Robredo, on the other hand, said they will give special attention to MSMEs should they get elected to the presidency.
Lacson said the government’s spending plan for 2022 already provides a P2 billion fund to the Small Business Corporation and another P2 billion for MSMEs in the agriculture sector.
“Ang kailangan unahin, magkaroon ng comprehensive fiscal stimulus, yung targeted at saka comprehensive stimulus para sa ating mga MSMEs. Tulungan natin silang ibangon kasi napakalaki ng tama sa ating ekonomiya ng galing sa sektor ng MSMEs,” he said.
(What we need to prioritize is to have a comprehensive fiscal stimulus, a targeted and comprehensive stimulus for our MSMEs. Let us help them rise up because the MSME sector greatly affects our economy.)
Pacquiao also said that he wants to strengthen MSMEs by giving them zero-interest loans.
“Papautangin natin yung malilit na negosyante ng zero interest para makapag-start sila ng business nila para mabigyan ng trabaho ang milyun-milyong mga Pilipino,” he said.
(Let us hand out zero-interest loans to businessmen so they can start business and provide jobs to millions of Filipinos.)
Meanwhile, Robredo said she will propose a P100-billion stimulus fund, which would be used for conditional cash grants, low-interest loans and capacity building.
“Ang akin pong proposal, maliban doon sa mga available na ngayon ay magpo-propose ako ng P100 billion stimulus fund para buhayin ulit ang mga MSMEs. Ito pong P100 billion na ito, ang portion nito conditional cash grants, ang another portion nito ay low-interest loans para mabuhay ulit sila,” she said.
(My proposal, aside from those already available, is a P100 billion stimulus fund to revive our MSMEs. A portion of this P100 billion will be used for conditional cash grants and another portion are low-interest loans so they can be revived.)