Interview

Media Interview by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. following the 2024 Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporation’s (GOCCs’) Day


Event 2024 Government Owned Controlled Corporations’ (GOCCs’) Day
Location Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City

Q: Mr. President, good morning! Nais po ng Kongreso na amyendahan ang Rice Tariffication Law to allow the NFA to sell cheap rice in markets. Will you support this initiative and will you certify it as urgent?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes. It is something that has come up. That we are, so that the, ang problema kasi kaya tumataas ang presyo ng bigas dahil ang mga trader ay nagko-compete. Pataasan sila ng presyuhan sa pag-bili ng palay at wala tayong control doon.

Kung magkaroon ng mga amendments sa NFA, at sa Rice Tariffication – sa NFA charter, at saka sa Rice Tariffication Law, magagawa natin, mako-control natin, mayroon tayong influence doon sa presyuhan sa pagbili ng palay at sa pagbenta ng bigas.

So, that’s what we are going to do.

Q: Will you certify the bill as urgent, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes, I think it justifies an urgent certification.

Thank you.

Q: Good morning, Mr. President. Sabi po ng Department of Education nai-submit na raw po sa office po ninyo ‘yung recommendation para sa mga panukalang ibalik ‘yung calendar – school school calendar, gawin na pong June ulit ‘yung pasukan as soon as possible. Ano po ang tugon niyo po dito?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, of course, hiningi ko ‘yan sa DepEd and I asked Inday Sara to give me already a concrete plan because mukha naman, hindi na tayo kailangan maghintay pa. At mukha naman ay kailangan na at I don’t see any objections really from anyone.

Especially, with the El Niño being what it is. Every day you turn on the news, F2F classes are cancelled, F2F classes have been postponed, etcetera.

So, talagang kailangan na kailangan na. So, yes. That’s part of the plan that we are trying to do to bring it back already to the old schedule. I think it will be better for the kids.

Q: Will this be implemented by next year na, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hopefully. Hopefully by next year, yes. By next year matatapos na.

Q: Hi sir, magandang umaga. Sir, may mga panukala po na lagyan na ng water cannon ‘yung mga vessel natin na pumapalaot. Will you give the go signal on that, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No. We are, what we are doing is defending our sovereign rights and our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive, I would have to call them weapon dahil nakaka-damage na.

So, no. That is not something that’s in the plan. We, the last thing we would like is to raise the tensions in the West Philippine Sea. That’s the last thing. And that we’ll certainly do that.

So, hindi natin gagawin. We will not follow the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese vessels down that road because it simply – it is not the mission of our Navy, our Coast Guard to start or to increase tensions.

Their mission is precisely the opposite, it’s to lower tensions.

That’s why hindi tayo – wala tayo – all we do is pagka-nangyayari wina-water cannon ‘yung mga barko natin ay nagpapadala tayo ng démarche, nagpapadala tayo ng sulat sa China and the other stakeholders.

So, that would be the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. Would be to put, some kind of – any kind of canon on our ships.

Alright, sige salamat.

—END—

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