Q: Sir, following today’s development? Ano po ‘yung magiging hakbang ng pamahalaan para matiyak po ‘yung equitable distribution po ng tubig mula rito sa dam, lalo na po sa mga underserved areas?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, this is the whole point of this project, this massive project that we have done dahil nakita natin kaagad na may mga areas na hindi talaga — na nagkakaproblema sa tubig.
Kaya natin tinulungan dahil itong project na ito — at saka malaking PPP project ito kaya naman nabuo. At now, I’m very happy to be able to say that ‘yung mga ibang lugar na dati ay hindi regular ang kanilang supply ng tubig ay magkakaroon na ng regular na supply. And that’s the important thing. That’s really what this is all about.
Alam naman ninyo binubuo natin ‘yung Department of Water Management. Binubuo natin. Marami tayong ginagawa sa NIA para sa water management din at lahat ng ating private sector partners ay tumutulong para nga dito sa ating mga ginagawa dahil napakahalaga, napaka-importante na maganda ang suplay natin ng tubig at lalong-lalo na sa mga malalaking siyudad. Nauuna na diyan ay siyempre ‘yung NCR.
Ngunit, kailangan pa rin natin tingnan ang mga iba’t ibang highly urbanized areas dahil mayroon din silang problema sa tubig at kailangan natin tugunan ‘yang problema na ‘yan.
So, this is very, very good beginning. I hope it inspires other PPP projects that will bring a good supply of water, affordable supply of water, a good supply of clean water to the — what we’re previously underserved areas.
Q: Mr. President, magandang umaga po.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning.
Q: Sir, can you at least give us an idea of — a preview of your upcoming third SONA, highlights, how long it would take? And sir ‘yung attire?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Iyong?
Q: Attire.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Iyong alin?
Q: Attire, sir.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, wala. It’s a SONA. Ganun pa rin. Ibabalita ko kung ano ‘yung mga naging progress doon sa ating mga ginagawa. Iyong ating mga binigkas noong una, noong mga unang SONA ay ire-report ko. Kasi ang SONA, report sa bayan ‘yan. So, ire-report ko kung talaga bang ‘yung mga sinimulan natin ay tuloy-tuloy at maganda pa rin ang progress at kung gaano pa katagal bago matapos ‘yung malalaking project na ‘yan.
At titingnan din natin, siyempre, we will also report on the state of the nation in the sense that, what are the lives of our people, how are they doing? The economy, how is it doing? Criminality, how are we doing on that? How are we doing in the other problems, social problems that we are facing such as drugs, such as the different threats that have been coming to us. Marami tayong mga issue na kailangan pag-usapan. Kaya’t ire-report — report talaga sa bayan ‘yan.
And ‘yun lamang sa totoo lang, ang pinaka-problema namin ay paano namin ipagkakasya lahat doon sa isang SONA na mga isang oras na salita.
Kaya’t ang ginawa namin ay mayroon kaming ginawang brief, ganung kakapal which is a report to the nation, which goes into the detail. The detail that I cannot go into during the SONA dahil masyadong mahaba. Kaya’t we will provide that to, of course, the media and to all our other partners both private sector, both in the public sector, pati sa mga eskuwela at lahat para malaman ng tao kung ano ‘yung ginagawa natin at kung ‘yung mga pangako na ating sinabi ay kung talaga nating tinutupad.
And that’s basically what the SONA is going to look like.
Q: Sir, kagabi po mayroon kayong announcement that the Philippines will host the Loss and Damage Fund.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes, oo, very good news ‘yan.
Q: Sir, para po sa isang ordinaryong Filipino, ano po ang significance nito?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Okay. Tama. Good question. Mahalaga ito dahil ‘yung Loss and Damage Fund, ‘yan ang pondo na binibigay ng mga developed countries, ‘yung mga mayayaman na bansa. Iyan ang kanilang pondo na ibibigay para ayusin ‘yung mga naging problema sa environment dahil nga sa industrialization na ginawa nila.
At sinasabi nila may damage, may loss ang mga developing countries dahil sa industrialization ng mga mayayamang na bansa.
Ngayon, nag-agree ang mga developed countries kung tawagin, nag-agree ang developed countries na magbubuo sila ng pondo para mabigyan ang developing countries naman ng tulong dahil itong climate change na nangyari na ito ay dahil sa industrialization.
At kaya naman ang sinasabi natin — ang mga… Halimbawa, gawin na lang nating halimbawa ‘yung Pilipinas. Ang Pilipinas ay wala namang kinalaman sa climate change. Wala tayong ginagawa, wala tayong nilalagay sa environment na sumira at nagkaroon ng global warming, nagkaroon ng ito — mga El Niño na ganito, mga bagyo na ganito. Wala naman tayong kinalaman diyan. Kaya naman dapat suportahan tayo ng mga developed countries.
Ang magde-desisyon kung saan ilalagay ‘yung pondo na ‘yan ay nasa Loss and Damage Fund Board.
Ngayon, ang Loss and Damage Fund Board ay — magho-host ay ang Pilipinas. Kaya naman ay magiging malaki ang ating impluwensiya para lahat ng ating pangangailangan, lahat ng ating pananaw tungkol dito sa subject matter na ito ay maaari nating sabihin at maaring magka-influence tayo, sasabihin natin hindi niyo naisip ito o ang kailangan niyo na gawin ay ganito. Lahat ng mga ganyan, may boses tayo na malakas.
Iyan ang pinaka-importanteng resulta sa pag-host ng Pilipinas sa Loss and Damage Fund Board.
Q: Good morning, Mr. President. Sir, the camp of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy questioned po ‘yung motives ng mga private individuals na nag-offer po ng reward, 10 million reward for his arrest. Bakit daw po tumanggap ang government ng donation from the private sources?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Bakit hindi?
Q: Bakit hindi government?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Bakit hindi? They want to help us bring a fugitive to justice. You know, he is a fugitive. He is hiding from the law.
Now, if there are private citizens who want to assist the government in that effort to bring him to justice, I do not see what is any…
He can question their motives as much as they want but magpakita siya.
I question his motives. Let me question his motives. Bakit lagi kaming kinukwestiyon? Sinusundan lang namin ang batas. Sundin din niya ang batas. Iyon lang.
Q: Good morning, sir. Light topic from that heated question. Sir, a lot of people were surprised when Bimby and Joshua Aquino visited the First Lady yesterday. Can you tell us more about the nature of the visit and the relations between the Marcos and Aquino Families post-EDSA?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, maliwanag naman ‘yung last part of — we are…
Until the presidency of Noynoy, talagang we were on other sides of the political… The reason na pinuntahan nila si First Lady ay simple lamang. Nangailangan si… I think it was Kris Aquino who needed some assistance for something. But what the reports did not say is that Liza is their aunt. Dahil ang kanyang auntie ay napangasawa si Don Pepe, the eldest brother of Cory.
So, they are related. Kaya’t hindi naman nakakapagtaka, kilalang kilala niya si — kilalang kilala niya ‘yung mga pamangkin niya very well. So, that… And so, they came at nagbiyahe sila, bumalik may dalang pasalubong.
Iyon lang naman. Dinala nila ‘yung pasalubong kay First Lady.
Q: Sir, follow up. Ano po ‘yung assistance na hinihingi ni Kris Aquino from the Marcos Administration?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: I think it was just to help them for their travel arrangements. So, tumulong si First Lady at ‘yun lang. Sabi lang magpapasalamat sila. And so — I think it was a very fine gesture on the part of the Aquino family. I think it was — it sort of I suppose put a little more — how do you say — personal, a human interaction between our families.
Q: You think the feud between the two families are okay na?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we’ve always been okay. We just don’t agree politically.
Q: Thank you.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Okay. Thank you.
— END —
