Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso vowed that if elected president, his administration will infuse more infrastructure development in Mindanao to accelerate the human development index in the region and bring about more inclusive and equitable economic growth outside Luzon.
“There are areas here, would you believe, based on our data given to me, only 8 percent have access to clean, potable water. And of course, last is the internet connectivity because it creates opportunity and commerce online. An opportunity for any John Does and Mary or Petras or Pedro to make a living online. So, these are the things that will hopefully be given and felt in Mindanao when the day comes,” Moreno told reporters Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.
Moreno was referring to the “law of diminishing returns” when he said in previous interviews that a peso spent in the National Capital Region doesn’t count while a peso spent in Mindanao and the impoverished areas in the Visayas will contribute much to regional economic growth.
Moreno had said what is important to him is to increase the human development index by providing the minimum basic needs of the people through decent and affordable housing projects, free medicines, and modern hospitals, providing jobs and quality education.
He said if given the chance to serve the country, Moreno will also see to it that Mindanao will have a stable supply of electricity, unhampered access to clean and potable water, and better internet connectivity.
Joining Moreno in his Northern Mindanao sortie is his running Dr. Willie Ong, Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial bets Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita, and Jopet Sison, and guest candidate John Castriciones of PDP-Laban.
On the question of how a “Moreno presidency” will deal with other problems in Mindanao such as terror and bandit groups, he said he will try to make send to them, talk to them that we are all Filipinos and we should not be fighting one another.
“Well, we don’t negotiate with terrorists definitely but if they want to make sense, there is nothing wrong with us having an ear for anyone who wants to change their life or may be tired of diving into any dangerous adventure, even risking their lives. So, at the end of the day a country, a flag. Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. We will not allow disintegration or the separation of our country, geographically and as citizens of this country,” Moreno pointed out.
During their barnstorming of Misamis Oriental, Team Isko will hold motorcades and town hall meetings with local residents and supporters to be able to personally tell them Aksyon Demokratiko’s program of government.
Following a trip to Gingoog City, Moreno and his party also visited the municipalities of Medina and Balingasag and paid courtesy calls to the local chief executives there.
Later in the afternoon, Moreno and his slate will hold a motorcade around Cagayan de Oro City before attending a grand rally in the Northern Mindanao city.
As spelled out in his 10-Point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda, a Moreno administration will pursue a “Life and Livelihood” economic policy that aims to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality, and social injustice through an inclusive and equitable infrastructure development program.
Moreno had said the first two years of his presidency will focus on building facilities that will provide the minimum basic needs of the people—quality housing, education, and health—especially in provinces and areas with low human development index (HDI).
To further accelerate human and economic growth, Moreno also vowed to strengthen physical, economic, and digital linkages among growth centers and the rural economies, by building bridges across major islands of the Visayas and build a national fiber optic backbone to boost the country’s communication capability and interconnectivity.
Moreno said such infrastructure investments will create millions of jobs and other livelihood opportunities for our people, and rejuvenate the pandemic-hit micro, small and medium industries (MSMEs), thus further creating additional jobs.
And if the people have jobs, and have access to affordable housing, quality education, and quality health care, he said human and economic growth will follow and social inequity and injustice will be