MANILA, Philippines — Several former Cabinet secretaries from the Ramos and Macapagal-Arroyo administrations on Wednesday have expressed full support behind the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.”
The ex-cabinet secretaries include former Ramos administration Executive Secretary Ruben Torres and former Arroyo administration Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza as well as Trade Undersecretary and former Agriculture Secretary Ernesto Ordoňez.
The three former cabinet members went to the Manila City Hall to personally convey their full support behind Mayor Isko and his running mate, Dr. Willie Ong.
They believe that the country will have a “brighter future” in the hands of Domagoso and his running mate, Doc Willie Ong.
Meanwhile, former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor joined a zoom meeting to ask Moreno for his plan for the agriculture sector if he becomes president. He was joined by Bong Inciong, president of the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA), and Danilo Fausto, national chairman of the Dairy Confederation of the Philippines.
“You are ready to listen, that had an impression on me. You also said before, in your declaration speech, that ‘our’ plan, that is ours, is like the flag of the Philippines that we will weave from fiber and thread that will come from you.” Montemayor said.
Montemayor’s group has sent to Moreno their proposed 12-point agenda for better Philippine agriculture.
The former Cabinet secretaries lauded Moreno’s plans to cut taxes on oil and electricity by half, the establishment of cold storage and post-harvest facilities in all provinces and other vital areas across the country, as well as the creation of jobs by stimulating medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) in the countryside by appropriating 30 percent of local government units’ (LGUs) windfall from the Mandanas ruling for loans for the sector.
“They are game-changing, revolutionary, creative, and based on facts,” Ordoňez said.
Branganza, also a former press secretary, said this is the first time that he heard an aspiring president that is willing to sacrifice the government coffers for the sake of the ordinary people.
“You can feel a brighter future. Nasa plataporma nila na sugpuin ang pandemya, buhayin ang ekonomiya. They put emphasis sa maliliit na tao na may maliliit na income (It was their platform to suppress the pandemic, revive the economy. They put emphasis on small people with small incomes).”
former Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza.
“Ang isang magandang narinig ko, dapat mag sakripisyo ang gobyerno, kesa mapunta sa gobyerno at nakawin lang ng pulitiko. Ngayon ko lang narinig yan sa isang potensyal na pangulo ng Pilipinas na ganyan ang plataporma,” he added.
Domagoso, meanwhile, said he would utilize a budget from Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines that will be given to agricultural groups that produce investment for the country.
“The greatest threat to national security is food security,” he said.
The Manila mayor also bared that he is eyeing the creation of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to help fishermen in the country to earn more.
Moreno vowed that he and his team, Dr. Willie Ong and the Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial slate, will continue to go around the country to listen to the people to formulate additional plans that are fact-based to uplift the lives of the people, promote food security and lead to economic recovery.
“Talagang kailangang-kailangan namin ang tulong ni Doc Willie. If palarin kami, first two years, alam niyo na ang direksyon – buhay at kabuhayan, tao muna,” Moreno said.