Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo said if she wins the presidency next year, she will carry on with the current administration's massive infrastructure program but it will have to directly impact the lives of the marginalized sector.
Robredo during a press briefing in Sorsogon on Friday, Oct. 29, reaffirmed that her priority programs greatly revolve on the efforts to help alleviate poverty in the country.
However, she was also not dismissing the expected continuation of the Build, Build, Build program beyond the Duterte administration.
"Para kasi sa akin, no amount of success—iyong magagandang edifice, magagandang mga infrastructure projects, iyong pagtaas ng income ng mamamayan, hindi siya sapat kung marami pa rin iyong naiiwan sa laylayan (For me, no amount of success— the beautiful edifice, infrastructure projects, the increase in the income of the people, it is not enough if many of us will still be left behind)," Robredo said.
"So para sa akin, ipagpapatuloy natin iyong Build, Build, Build pero sisiguruhin natin—sisiguraduhin natin na iyong pupuntahan ng pera para sa infrastructure, mayroon itong direct impact—mayroon siyang direct impact sa pag-angat noong mga nasa laylayan (We will continue with the Build, Build, Build,but we will make sure that the fund for infrastructure will have a direct impact in the improvement of the quality of life of those who are on the fringes of society)," she added.
These infrastructure projects that can potentially help alleviate poverty include farm-to-market roads, cold storage facilities, and solar dryers for farmers.
She further said she would rather spend on "simple projects that will greatly boost the livelihood" of the people and the further improvement of the mass transport system in the country.
"Okay naman iyong magdagdag tayo ng mga kalsada, pero kung hindi natin naaasikaso iyong mass transport system, iyong mga taong umaasa, iyong mga taong nagko-commute, patuloy na nahihirapan (It's okay to add more roads but if we can't improve our mass transport system, the people, who are hoping and commuting, will continue to suffer)," Robredo added.
The opposition leader stressed that the infrastructure projects "must spur rural development" and not only concentrated in Metro Manila.