A President who is from the provinces who cares about the “probinsyano.”
This, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles, was what was emphasized by President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
In separate radio interviews on Tuesday, the legislator from Davao said that it was clear from the accomplishments of the President in tandem with Congress, as well as the directives of the President, “that the President is a probinsyano at heart who cares about his fellow probinsyanos.”
“Take a look at the laws passed in the last year: free tertiary education, a National Feeding Program Law, and, as he mentioned in his SONA, the Ease of Doing Business law––all of these have a significant impact on the lives of those who live outside Metro Manila,” explained the solon from Mindanao.
Nograles said that these laws, if properly funded, “would open up opportunities for the probinsyano.”
“These laws, if properly funded, would open up opportunities for the probinsyano.”
“These measures will ensure that our children in the provinces have enough to eat, have access to education, and––when they graduate––have employment opportunities because of the improved climate for business. Lahat ito malaking tulong sa probinsyano. (All of these are a big help for the probinsyano.)
Nograles said that these laws would be complemented by the other additional social protections that would be provided by the bills that the President had asked Congress to prioritize.
“These measures will ensure that our children in the provinces have enough to eat, have access to education, and––when they graduate––have employment opportunities because of the improved climate for business.”
“Natunghayan natin ang mga direktibang isa-isang inilahad ng Pangulo sa Kongreso, mga polisiyang nagpapatunay lamang sa kanyang pagpapahalaga sa kapakanan ng mga kababayan nating napapag-iwanan sa mga probinsya at lalawigan,” added the solon.
(We can observe that in the directives given by the President that he values the welfare of our countrymen from the provinces and in the regions who have been left behind.)
“For example, the President stressed the importance of enacting a universal health care law so that health services would be more accessible to all. Also important to the President is the passage of a measure to bring down rice prices, by lifting import quotas and replacing it with a tariffication system,” Nograles said.
“The President’s pronouncement that he would immediately sign the Bangsamoro Organic Law likewise reflects how he recognizes the importance of this instrument to bring peace to Mindanao––an important step if we are to bring real development to the region.”
During his SONA, the President said that Mindanao was derisively dubbed “The Land of Promise” by Mindanaoans “because what it got from the government through the years were promises, promises and more promises.”
“We aim to rectify that derisive observation and, as a matter of fact, we are now in the process of fulfilling that promise through significant increases in the budget for Mindanao. At the end of my term, I hope to see the promise of Mindanao fulfilled, or at the very least, approaching fulfillment,” emphasized the President.
“Be that as it may, Mindanao pauses at the crossroads of history. One road leads to harmony and peace; the other, to war and human suffering. Despite all that has been said [for] or against the Bangsamoro Organic Law by all sectoral groups, I make this solemn commitment that this administration will never deny our Muslim brothers and sisters the basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the Constitutional framework of our country.”
