PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning.
Q: Hi, sir. Mr. President, how do you view po the KADIWA ng Pangulo Program in the context of Department of Agriculture’s achievements during your first year in the office?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think it is – certainly in principle it’s been a successful program thus far.
Today, we expanded it – with this agreement, we have expanded it for the whole of the country. And as I always remind everyone, just because naglagay tayo ng KADIWA hindi ibig sabihin sapat na ‘yung ating produksyon. Kaya’t ‘yung ngayon, maganda ‘yun. Mayroon na tayong KADIWA kung saan may sistema para makamura naman ‘yung taong-bayan sa mga bilihin.
Iyon lamang sa amin sa DA, we really have to continue to work very hard. Gusto ko nga hindi lang makapag-supply nang sapat na agricultural products, ng pagkain, kung hindi makapag-export pa, makapag-process tayo, makapag-export pa.
Kaya’t ‘yung mga nakikita – kagaya nung nangyari sa kalabasa na nag-overproduce, dapat mayroon tayong processing para ‘yung value added – unang-una, hindi matatapon, hindi masasayang ‘yung ani, ‘yung tanim, and at the same time, we can still sell it with value added and the value added stays here. Imbes na nag-export tayo ng kalabasa tapos bibilhin natin ‘yung kalabasa chips, dito i-import natin. Dito na lang gagawin lahat.
Q: Good morning, sir. Sir, this is related to your first event in Clark. Under your administration, the private sector has been very supportive of your programs, especially in infrastructure programs including this Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center. Sir, what is the commitment of the private sector in helping the government in building such facilities?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Actually, I have to say that the response from our friends in the private sector has really been quite strong and quite – almost overwhelming. Because you imagine that these big corporate giants, iniisip lang nila paano kumita, paano kumita.
Pero ang katotohanan noong humingi tayo ng tulong sa kanila, tumutulong talaga sila like the hospital that we had begun that we went to in Clark. Then the other hospitals and other health facilities that are being put up, hinihingi natin sa kanila ‘yung tulong pati na ‘yung infrastructure programs. Hindi lamang ‘yung mga local na malalaking korporasyon pati na ‘yung mga funding agencies abroad na galing sa iba’t ibang bansa na napakalaking tulong na ibinibigay sa Pilipinas.
Kaya tayo’y – tama rin ang pinatunguhan natin na hindi tayo umasa sa gobyerno lamang. Umaasa tayo sa lahat-lahat ng – lahat ng iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan para naman makatulong. Hindi lamang ‘yung mga malalaki na mga mayayaman na korporasyon o mayayaman na indibidwal, kung hindi bawat isang Pinoy. Nakikita mo – basta’t kung makitang may paraan talagang makatulong, tumutulong.
Kaya’t we owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who has taken an extra step in their own way to help the progress of our country.
Q: Happy birthday po, Mr. President. Kumustahin lang po namin ‘yung inyong preparation for the upcoming SONA? Naka-ready na po ba ‘yung inyong susuotin, ‘yung inyong speech? Ano po ‘yung aabangang bago ng ating mga kababayan?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ngayon na nabanggit mo, hindi ko pa naiisip kung ano ‘yung isusuot ko. We’ve been worried about writing the speech.
Ang SONA – ang gagawin kong SONA is a state of the nation, is a report to the people. At ipapakita natin, I will like to show na ito ‘yung pinag-usapan natin noong last year, ito na ngayon ang nagawa natin, ito pa ‘yung kulang na gagawin namin, ito ‘yung plano.
It’s really very simple. It’s just a performance report for Filipinos to see sa dami ng mga pronouncements, sa dami ng mga salita, kung ito ba ay talagang may kabuluhan o salita lamang.
So, we’ll see. And that’s what I want to explain to people that we have made significant progress. We can see the difference now not only in terms of how the systems work, how the government works, it is also in how we are now seen or judged in the international community. That’s equally important.
Q: Hello, Mr. President. May we ask what have you decided on the US’s request for the Philippines to host Afghan nationals?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we don’t – we haven’t given ourselves a deadline. What we are talking about is that we are trying to see what are the problems that are – what issues are arising. And in so doing, we are trying to find ways to remedy those issues that we feel are something that we have to deal with.
So, we have made some progress but there are still some major obstacles to us being able to do it. But we continue to consult with our friends in the United States.
In a way, I would like to manifest the Filipino instinct of hospitability. And as you know, many times have happened that there have been world – situations around the world and may mga nagkaka-refugee hindi tinatanggap kahit saan, tayo tinatanggap natin at hindi tayo kinakalimutan ng mga tinulungan natin. Eh ganyan talaga ang ugali ng Pinoy.
Ngunit ito ay ibang usapan ‘to kasi may halong pulitika, may halong ano security so medyo mas kumplikado ‘to. So, we’ll look at it very, very well before making a decision.
Thank you. Magandang umaga. Thank you.
— END —
SOURCE: PCO-PND (Presidential News Desk)
