Vice President Leni Robredo wants the government to invest more in roads that will improve active transport and provide affordable and alternative mass transportation for the riding public.
Robredo, a presidential aspirant, said that the latest SWS survey showed that more Filipinos would want to bring their bicycles to work “pero hindi handa ang kalye natin sa public transport (but our roads are not ready for public transport).”
“Kailangan iyong gobyerno magbuhos ng maraming pera para sa active transport para siguraduhin ang mga kababayan natin may nasasakyan sa mababang halaga...ang tao dapat nakakapunta sa pupuntahan nila (The government needs to invest a lot of money into active transport to ensure that our people will have cheap transportation...the people should be able to go to where they need to go) at the least cost,” Robredo added.
This is in line with her infrastructure plan “to make roads for people and not for cars.”
The Vice President attended the CNN “The Filipino Votes: Presidential Debate” on Sunday, Feb. 27, with former presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, labor leader Ka Leody de Guzman, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, former Defense chief Norberto Gonzales, Senator Panfilo Lacson, businessman Faisal Mangondato, Dr. Jose Montemayor Jr., and Senator Manny Pacquiao.
Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declined the invitation. A seat was left empty for him.
The pandemic, Robredo said, has “exacerbated” the country’s problems with mass transportation and many Filipinos were left without an option.
Moreover, the Vice President stressed that infrastructure projects should give emphasis to rural development.
“Kaya nagsisiksikan dito lahat dahil iyong trabaho nandito sa Manila. Pero dapat mag-invest tayo sa kanayunan at may trabaho dun ang mga tao, maeenganyo umuwi sa kanila (The people are crowded here because the jobs are here in Manila. But we need to invest in the rural areas and if there are jobs there, the people will be encouraged to go home there),” she explained.