Presidentiable candidate and Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso lauded that Guimaras can be the Philippines’ template for food sufficiency which can hopefully be copied or replicated by other provinces.

Domagoso and his party were warmly welcomed by Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin and other local officials during their sortie there on Wednesday.

“Ang isang napag-kwentuhan namin ni Governor kanina, nakakatuwa na ang isang isla katulad ng Guimaras nagpapadala pa ng pagkain sa labas ng isla. So, ibig sabihin magandang maging modelo ang Guimaras sa food sufficiency. They produce their own rice, in fact sobra pa nga. They reserve for the summer tapos nagpapadala pa sila sa Iloilo.” Domagoso said last Thursday.

The island province – Guimaras is famous for producing one of the sweetest mangoes in the world, and some 50,000 of these trees are planted thus earning the nickname “Mango Capital of the Philippines” from local and foreign tourists.

“So, that’s one food basket. Then, proper zoning. Meron silang (they have) ecozone, gateway zone, food basket zone, and tourism zone. Yun yung kinukwento ni Gov kanina (that was what Governor Gumarin told me earlier). Tapos they produce (they also produce) their own electricity through renewable energy at nasu-sustain nila ang kanilang (they can sustain their own) utility,” the 47-year-old presidential candidate said.

And if Guimaras can do it, Domagoso said this sufficiency can be replicated in other areas of the country.

Because of Guimaras picturesque beaches, waterfalls and springs, the incumbent Manila City Mayor  “Isko Moreno presidency” will prioritize tourism and transportation industries to be able to provide more jobs to the people and if elected as President, Domagoso mentioned that he will never resort to lockdowns whenever there is a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases because that will only make people’s lives miserable.

“Why? Two years is enough for us to understand Covid, that there is a cycle of surge, may pagtaas, may pagbaba. May paglakas, may paghina (there are ups and downs, low and high). But what matters most is we should prepare,” as he elucidates.

In addition to that, Domagoso mentioned that one of his top priority will be building a national fiber-optic infrastructure to boost the country’s communication capability such as internet and cellular phone.

Citing the Philippines’ archipelagic geography, he said a stable and reliable internet connection is crucial to education, economic growth, and information dissemination during calamities.

Presidential candidate reiterate that he still want to witness continuity and completion of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridges (PGNB) project, the 32-km mega bridge project connecting Panay, Guimaras, and Negros, design for an easier access and convenient transportation between the three islands. 

Photo Credit : Facebook/iskomorenodomagoso