Manifestation of support to the P12Bil Calamity Fund measure for Ondoy and Pepang

This vote, this particular measure is indeed very needed, not only because there is an emergency, but principally because our people are in dire need. When the people of the world give us support, our people, our whole country must show that we are willing to put down our own money for our people. It will not look seemly for our country to ask for help from the whole international community and not be able to help ourselves.

I congratulate our colleagues for having voted for this wonderful measure that the country badly needed. But at the same time, I'd like to issue certain caveats. I would like to see this bill strictly follow a set of standards that would allow for transparency and to make sure that in the implementation, we know that we would be spending so much for relief, so much for non-food items, so much for hygiene kits, so much for housing, if there is going to be housing, so much for livelihood and so much for infrastructure if this is going to be implemented well. This will ensure transparency in the measure so that our people will know that this is not one big scam or an opportunity to bring another scam. I for one, place full confidence on our government even as we argue with one another.

It is my hope that the higher interest of the little people, yung pinaka-maliliit, ay silang magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makakuha ng mga resources na kailangan. Hindi para maging isang pala-abot o maging pala-asa ang tao natin sapagkat kapag ginawa natin iyan, sinasanay natin sa pag-abot ang tao magiging palasisi ang tao. Mr. President, I would like to manifest my support to this measure. Please be aware that we all have to have the collective responsibility to see to it that this measure succeeds and goes all the way down to where it is needed.

Just another caveat, Mr. President. Bureaucracy can again weaken the face of disbursement. And we have an atrocious record in so far as being able to disburse the monies that are being spent. It is my hope that we can at least make sure that the higher interest, once again, of our people are considered by those who are going to implement it so that we can indeed utilize this as quickly as possible to alleviate human suffering and for our people to be able to get back on their feet and feel that they can still resume their lives, they can still help themselves. There will be maximum cooperation in the new effort to try and rebuild from the watery, watery places of this country.

Thank you very much.