Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Thursday, Oct. 28, vowed to support small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic should he become president in 2022.
Domagoso, along with his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial bets, visited the plant of Pampanga's Best in San Fernando City on Thursday, Oct. 28.
In his dialogue with the workers, Domagoso explained how he plans to apply the Mandanas ruling, which he also used in Manila, to help small businesses that are still suffering from the pandemic.
“Ramdam ko ang hirap na dinanas ng milyong manggagawang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya. Paano natin sila ibabangon? (I feel the hardship suffered by the millions of workers who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. How do we help them recover?) We have a plan. And it is similar to what I did in Manila,” Moreno told the employees of Pampanga’s Best.
Domagoso's campaign team said his plan includes partnering local government units with national government agencies such as the Departments of Trade and Industry and Agriculture, Land Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines; draw up a plan on how to help MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) to re-start their business; and give out loans, through local government units (LGUs), using their Mandanas incremental windfall to assist MSMEs through low interest loans.
He pointed out that as a result of the Mandanas Ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018, the internal revenue allotment are programmed to increase by 55 percent in the 2022 budget, reaching P1.08 trillion or 4.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product compared to 3.5 percent of GDP in 2021.
The Manila mayor also urged LGUs to invest in housing, education, and health as these are the minimum basic needs of the people.
"Hindi ba naman napapanahon na paminsan minsan umatras ng konti ang gobyerno at ang tao naman ang mauna? (Isn't it time for the government to step back a little and allow the people to come first?)," he told the workers.
"Di ba ganon ang pag-gugobyerno? Hindi iniisip yung sarili niya, ang iniisip niya yung sinasakup niya, yung pinaglilingkuran niya (Isn’t that how governance is? He does not think of himself, he thinks of those he covers, those he serves)," he added.
Domagoso said he was able to construct several mass housing projects including the Basecommunity; Tondominium 1 and 2; Binondominium 1 and 2; and the Pedro Gil and San Sebastian Residences in his two and a half years as mayor of the nation's capital.
“Nakapagbigay tayo ng trabaho sa libo-libong tao, tapos mapapakinabangan pa ng mga mahihirap na may sakit, mga estudyante, kabataan, at higit sa lahat, magkakaroon ng matitirahang disente ang mahihirap. (We have been able to provide employment to thousands of people, gave benefit to the sick, poor, students, youth, and most of all, the poor will have decent housing)," he said.
"Mabibigyan sila ng seguridad sa buhay at dignidad bilang mga anak ng Diyos, kapwa tao, kapwa Pilipino (They will be given security and dignity as children of God, fellow human beings, fellow Filipinos)."
Domagoso had earlier said he joined the presidential race to offer what he has done in Manila that are duplicable and scalable to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.