What we did in Manila, we can do nationwide – and fast


BATANG MAYNILA

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno

First of all, my heartfelt gratitude to Tatler for having included me in its “Asia's Most Influential List.” I am truly elated and honored to have been given the said recognition. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

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Tomorrow, February 8, 2022, we will formally begin our 90-day listening tour to hear what our fellow ordinary citizens want and need from their government.

With all humility, I am offering myself to all Filipinos, as an applicant for the highest post in government –to be the President of our beloved country. I am running as President under the Aksyon Demokratiko party.

Also with me are my candidate for Vice President Doc Willie Ong and candidates for Senator namely Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita and Atty. Jopet Sison.

Please join me in this journey, as I bring and present all the plans that will alleviate the lives of each and every Filipino household.

The plans I am presenting to all of you are all backed by concrete proof. All of these, I have already implemented in Manila and all that has to be done is to expand their coverage so that everyone will benefit, in God’s grace. Whatever we did in Manila, we will do for the entire country.

In fact, modesty aside, all the plans that I have lined up for implementation for a period of 10 years when I was running for mayor in 2019, we were able to achieve in Manila only during my first two years of incumbency.

I am fortunate that God and the citizens of Manila gave me a dedicated, hard-working and supportive working partner and Vice Mayor in the person of Honey Lacuna, along with equally dedicated officials and employees in the local government of Manila.

It is highly important for our countrymen to scrutinize the platforms or plans of each candidate, if they are realistic or truly responsive to the needs of our present-day society. Above all, know if there is proof of claims that can really be the basis of choosing the next leader that would tide us over in this pandemic.

Recently, again modesty aside, I presented to the public my “Bilis Kilos” 10-Point Agenda of Governance for the country. This includes housing, education, labor and employment, health, tourism and creative industry, infrastructure, digital transformation and industry, agriculture, good governance and smart governance.

Life and livelihood will be our foremost concern, because we expect COVID-19 to still be very much around in the coming months, based on what health authorities say.

We are in a pandemic. The lives and future of every Filipino is at stake. This is why I plan to do in the entire nation all the things that we did in Manila.

The people need to know and feel that there is a government that cares for them. I would like to tide over all Filipinos and give them the assurance that their leaders will be with them as we all learn to live with COVID-19.

Alongside this, I intend to increase the wages of our nurses to a level that would be responsive to their needs and simultaneously effect a substantial cut on electricity and fuel taxes for the benefit of all Filipinos.

The numerous projects implemented in Manila with regard to the pandemic, we will just have to expand to cover the entire country. These include free swab testing and antigen test, swift and aggressive vaccination, free expensive medicines for COVID-19, establishment of the COVID-19 Field Hospital and the modern Ospital ng Maynila as well as the continuous distribution of relief boxes to all residents and the provision of monthly allowance for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents and students who were also given free laptops with internet, just like the teachers. There is also of course, the mass housing for the poor residents of Baseco, Tondo and Binondo.

The beauty of all these projects is that they are not that difficult to implement. It is not impossible.

Again, in the coming May elections, I appeal for everyone to apply scrutiny in choosing the next leaders of the country specially since we are still in the middle of a pandemic.

With God’s grace and mercy, we will get through this. Pamahalaang may tunay na solusyon at mabilis umaksyon sa pangangailangan ng tao, posible!

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Gaya ng paulit-ulit kong sinasabi, kailangan ko angtulong ninyong lahat. Walang magmamalasakit sa Maynila kundi tayo ding mga Batang Maynila. Manila, God first!

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For updates on latest developments in thecity of Manila, please visit my Facebook account--- ‘Isko Moreno Domagoso.’