Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano told the farmers during their visit in Tarlac City that they will help out the country’s agriculture industry as they will prioritize the sector and the industry was among their platforms should they win in the May 2016 national elections.
According to the 70-year-old Mayor Duterte in order to addres the problems with water supply, the Davao City mayor promised free irrigation to farmers. He also stated that he would solve the farmers’ financing by coursing credit through cooperatives.
Mayor Duterte noted during CNN Philippines’ Town Hall in the University of the Philippines, he as quoted as saying “I’ll give priority to agriculture because it’s food,” said Duterte. “Help the farmer itself. You have to give their needs… they plant to feed you.”
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also stated during a meeting with the farmers, the government must use research and technology to map out what should be planted where.
Aside from the agriculture sector’s problems, the Duterte-Cayetano tandem also revealed on how they plan to solve the traffic woes in Metro Manila. Mayor Duterte admitted that the entire Metro Manila is overloaded, but he will his best improve the traffic with “a little more discipline and add more trains.”