Isko says Guimaras a 'template' for food sufficiency in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso said the island province of Guimaras can serve as a template for food sufficiency which, hopefully, can be replicated in other provinces of the country. 

Moreno and his Aksyon Demokratiko slate barnstormed Guimaras where they were warmly welcomed by Gov. Samuel Gumarin and other local officials of the island province known for its sweet mangoes which are of export quality. 

“One thing that the governor and I talked about earlier, it is funny that an island like Guimaras still sends food out of the island. So, it means that Guimaras is a good model for food sufficiency. They produce their own rice, in fact even more. They reserve for the summer and then send to Iloilo,” Moreno told reporters during an ambush interview in this Western Visayan province.

“So, that’s one food basket. Then, proper zoning. They have an ecozone, gateway zone, food basket zone, and tourism zone. That's what Gov. told me earlier. Then they produce their own electricity through renewable energy and they can sustain their utility,” the 47-year-old presidential candidate said.

Guimaras is well known for its agricultural crops, particularly mangoes, where some 50,000 of these trees are planted. Guimaras Island is famous for producing some of the sweetest mangoes in the world, earning the nickname "Mango Capital of the Philippines" from local and foreign tourists. 

"Imagine a country can be proud of a particular product throughout the world, I mean the world wants, the world will love. So, these are the things that the government should focus on. But it's the other way around. Make it a good example, because we know 7,100 islands, we are an archipelago country. So, if Guimaras can do it, I think it can be duplicated in other islands," Moreno said in mixed Filipino and English. 

Moreno presidency to focus on tourism, transportation

With Guimaras Island being a favored destination by both foreign and domestic tourists due to its beaches, waterfalls, and springs, the Manila City mayor stressed that his presidency would prioritize the tourism and transportation industries to be able to provide more jobs to the people. 

If he becomes president, Moreno maintained he will never resort to lockdowns whenever there is a surge in COVID-19 cases because that will only make people’s lives miserable. 

“So, we welcome tourists but they should follow health protocols like testing, vaccination. Then we learn how to live with Covid 19 and go back to work safely...Why? Two years is enough for us to understand Covid, that there is a cycle of surges, with increases, with decreases. There is an increase, there is a slowdown. But what matters most is we should prepare,” Moreno explained.

Moreno also said building a national fiber-optic infrastructure to boost the country's communication capability such as internet and cellular telephone will be a priority under his term.

Citing the Philippines' archipelagic geography, he said a stable and reliable internet connection is crucial to education, economic growth, and information dissemination during calamities. 

“My first dream is the internet highway or what we call the internet backbone. So, from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi that will cost about P80 billion. But with today's technology, maybe later that will be more feasible than Elon Musk's idea. Because in that case I won't have to fa-fiber, I won't have to build a communication backbone, He can in the end if we still have extra money for stability. Because nothing is the strongest but wired," Moreno said.

Moreno said he wants to see the project continuity and completion of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridges, the 32-km mega bridge project connecting Panay, Guimaras, and Negros, which aims to allow easier access and convenient transportation between the three islands. 

“Anything that will develop, connect our islands not only for Guimaras and Iloilo maybe other islands also as I have said with Bohol, Mactan, or Lapu-Lapu to Cebu,” Moreno said.