Inilahad ni Heart Evangelista-Escudero ang tatlong priority areas of legislation na itataguyod ni former Senator Chiz Escudero sa pagbabalik sa Senado.
Sa isang presscon sa Dagupan City, sinabi ni Evangelista-Escudero na ang pagtutuunan ng pansin nga kaniyang asawa ay ang
Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises, Agriculture at Tourism..
Unang concern ni Chiz, ayon kay Heart, ay yung mga nawalang trabaho sa lokal ay dapat maibalik na.
“I would like to discuss, number one, would be the MSMEs that compose 98% of the economy. Which means 98% of jobs that were lost during this situation and that would be 98% jobs that will be given back. Hindi na tayo lalayo,” sabi ni Heart.
Inilhad ni Heart na sinabi ni Chiz sa kanya na tinulungan ng gobyerno sa Italy ang maliliit na negosyante para makapagpasahod at makabayad ng renta. Itong hakbang ng gobyerno ng Italy ay puede din gawin dito sa Pilipinas.
Umikot pa rin ang ekonomiya dahil may pambili ng mga pangangailangan ang mga workers, hindi nagsara o nalugi ang mga maliliit na negosyante at nakakakolekta pa rin ang mga nagpapaupa.
“He would tell me, in Italy, you know, (businessmen) would be given subsidies. Na mabibigyan sila ng allowance para mabayaran pa nila ang mga empleyado nila despite the pandemic. So, in return, they would be able to go to the grocery and still buy whatever they need and that their economy, their country would still be running. At the same time, it has a good effect that they were also given leeway that, kahit tumaas yun rentals sa ibang lugar, yun sa kanila would still be maintained. And, I think that is very important because that builds up our economy. So that is something that he would like to prioritize,” kuwento ni Heart.
Feel ni Heart na dapat ayusin ang kalagayan ng MSMEs dahil mas malawak ang impact nito sa kabuhayan ng mamamayan.
“I feel that the country would definitely feel the impact if it was given the opportunity to just be fixed,” dagdag ni Heart.
Ayon din kay Heart, kinikilala ni Chiz ang napakahalangang papel ng agriculture para umunlad ang bansa gamit ang lupa at iba pang resources.
Nanghihinayang si Heart na napakaliit ng budget para sa agriculture. “Piso para sa agriculture, sampung piso para sa infrastructure,” sabi niya.
Nalulungkot si Heart dahil kaunti na lang ang kabataan may interest na pumasok sa agriculture. Dahil hindi rewarding ang agriculture, nasa fifties na ang average age ng magsasaka dahil ayaw ng mga magulang na maging magsasaka din ang kanilang anak.
Ayon kay Heart, sa ibang bansa ay pareho ng dignidad ang magsasaka sa doktor, sa abogado.
Sinabi ni Heart na ang irrigated area ng Pilipinas ay nasa 1.3 million hectares noong 1980s at ngayon ay nasa 1.6 million hectares pa lang. Kumpara sa Vietnam at Thailand, noong 1980s ay wala pang one million hectares ang irrigated land nila pero ngayon ay nasa 9 million hectares na ang irrigated nila. Napaka-importante na madagdagan ang mga sakahan na mapatubigan dahil lumolobo ang population ng Pilipinas, sabi niya.
Ang pagiging number one importer ng bigas ng Pilipinas at pagiging number one exporter ng bigas ng Vietnam at Thailand, ayon kay Heart, ay malinaw na nagpapakita ng kakulangan ng pansin at pondo na ibinibigay sa agrikultura.
“Agriculture needs to be fixed. It is such a huge, like it is a promising aspect of our country. We’re so rich with land and all these resources. I think the given situation is that the budget for infrastructure is like P840 billion and agriculture is only given 10 percent of that. I think in the ’80s we had 1.3 million hectares of land that was irrigated and at that time you have Vietnam, Thailand that had a little bit less than a million hectares. And 35 years later, they are at 9 million hectares. They are number one in exporting and we are number one in importing. That says a lot about our growth. I think from 1.3 million hectares we are now at 1.6 million hectares. And our population has grown three times. So, can you imagine, sayang yung factor…yung aspect ng agriculture,” sabi ni Heart.
“The sad thing about it is that most of the people in the agriculture sector, a big percentage of them are already in their fifties and they discourage their children to do the same because sila na nga yun kumakayod literally and they do not make enough. In other countries, agriculture makes so much money. It is the same as being a doctor, being a lawyer. It is a rich sector. And that should change. And that is one thing he wants to focus on,” sabi ni Heart.
Ang pangatlong pagtutuunan ni Chiz sa Senado ayon kay Heart ay ang tourism.
Buksan ang bansa sa lahat ng turista at gawaan ng proseso para hindi mahirapan sa requirements ang mga dayuhan gustong mamasyal sa Pilipinas.
Sinabi ni Heart na karamihan sa mga fashion icons na nakakasalamuha niya ay hindi pa nakakapamasyal sa Pilipinas. Kaya naman may mga pagkakataon na ibinibida ni Heart na magandang pasyalan ang Pilipinas sa mga tao ng fashion industry.
“Another that I would like to focus on is tourism. Choosy pa ba tayo? I think it is about time to open up the country because we have so much to offer,” sabi ni Heart.
Feel ni Heart na “winning moment” kapag na-ilarawan niya ang beauty ng Pilipinas sa mga nakakausap niya sa mga lakad ni sa ibang bansa. Nabubuhay ang usapan kapag naikukuwento ni Heart ang mga tungkol sa Pilipinas.
“Some countries, if I am not mistaken, Koreans need a visa to get here. And they used to come here a lot. I think it is time that we open up our country. For me, sorry yun mundo ko, yun fashion industry. But then I find ways, winning moments. Every time I travel is when I talk about the Philippines. It’s always such a wonderful conservation with all these fashion icons I meet. And a lot of them haven’t been to the Philippines. It really is a beautiful country,” sabi ni Heart.
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