Podcast Episodes: Blog Watch with senatorial candidates on platforms & legislative agenda

Disclosure: Blog Watch does not accept compensation or payment in kind or in cash for any of our interviews. Blog Watch interviews senatorial candidates to provide more context to platforms and election issues. For candidates that want to schedule an interview with us, you may contact us via contact(at)blogwatch(dot)tv.

RISA HONTIVEROS

Our livestream chat is broken down as Part 1 and Part 2 .

Download/Stream or listen in Itunes

Part 1

Part 2

Hontiveros’ platforms centers on women’s rights, health care, and fight against abuse and corruption. Read more at Wikipilipinas #knowyourcandidate and the Philippine Online Chronicles feature article The beautiful fighter: Risa Hontiveros

TINGTING COJUANGCO

Watch our recorded video here.

And the walis tingting.

Here is the audio podcast

If elected, Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco said she will put focus on public safety, the environment, agriculture and housing for the poor.

KOKO PIMENTEL

Video interview

Here is the audio podcast

One of his Legislative agenda is “BIGGER PIE, BIGGER SLICE BILL” which redefines the source(s) of funds which the national government shares with the local governments, leading to bigger amounts to be given to all local government units, from the provinces, cities, municipalities, all the way to the smallest barangays, to be called “SNT” or share in the national tax;

TEDDY CASINO

Watch the recorded video of our interview :

Download Podcast episode

Legislative Agendas via #knowyourcandidate

BIGGER PIE, BIGGER SLICE BILL: redefines the source(s) of funds which the national government shares with the local governments, leading to bigger amounts to be given to all local government units, from the provinces, cities, municipalities, all the way to the smallest barangays, to be called “SNT” or share in the national tax;
Bill making criminal the intentional withholding of travel documents and other government-issued identification documents for the purpose of getting money or some other form of benefit. This is meant to protect our Overseas Filipino Workers and OFW-applicants;
Philippine Boxers Welfare Bill: meant to protect our boxers so we can continue producing world champions by forcing the adoption of world-class safety standards in boxing as well as providing incentives and benefits to the boxers;
The Cordillera Autonomous Region Bill;
Bill providing for The Boy Scouts of the Philippines Charter;
The Social Housing Development and Finance Corporation Bill;
Amusement Industry Safety Board Bill;
Bill requiring Mandatory Training in the Identification of Dead Bodies for Local Health Officers;

Other legislative ideas, among many others, which Pimentel plan to pursue in the next Congress are:

Anti-Chamber Practice Law;
Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law;
Amendments to the Speedy Trial Act;
Amendments to our system of taxation, specifically income taxation;
Additional benefits for senior citizens, and Incentives for the continued employment or re-employment of senior citizens;
Strengthening of Math and Science Education;
Strengthening of Government Scholarship Program;
Party-list Reform Law;
Amendments to the Consumer Code, Securities Act, etc., designed to prevent many forms of cheating the public;
Review of the Nature and Purpose of PAGCOR;
Continuing review of all our election laws and processes;
Logging Ban;
Basic Law for the Mindanao Peace Framework;

Legislative Agenda

Casiño believes that poverty is still the main problem of farmers, workers, and other ordinary Filipinos. He proposes a systematic change, hence, he will push for the following in the Senate if he will be given a seat:

• A law on agrarian reform to ensure land, equipment, subsidies and other forms of support to farmers to uplift them from poverty and attain food security
• A law on the development of local industries–from small enterprises to big factories–to create adequate jobs and provide living wages to workers
• A law to lower the prices of electricity, water, and oil through the removal of the VAT and scrapping of EPIRA and the Oil Deregulation Law
• A law to rescind the privatization of public hospitals, water districts, and other social services

EDWARD HAGEDORN

Watch our recorded video interview

Here is the podcast episode

When Edward Hagedorn announced his candidacy for senator, the environmentalist mayor said that he is running on a pro-environment platform. He said in the Halalan 2013 forum that environment and poverty are correlated.

“Kaya isa sa gusto ko itaguyod kapag ako’y nasa Senado ay magkaroon ng honest to goodness anti-poverty program. Napakayaman natin sa likas yaman ngunit sa latest survey ay 54% ng ating mamamayan ang sinasabing sila ay mahirap,” he said.

Aside from this, his platform also focuses on jobs, investments, national healthcare, decentralization and development of infrastructure and land use, education and youth development, renewable and sustainable energy, and social policies and advocacies. His whole legislative agenda can be read at his website.

His initiatives also include agriculture, comprehensive housing, education, health, infrastructure and livelihood.

ALAN P. CAYETANO

Here is our Video interview with Senator Alan Cayetano where we discussed his Platforms , the PTK: Presyo, Trabaho, Kita

Here is the audio version which you can also subscribe to in iTunes:

1. Presyo- He called for a decrease in gas prices.

2. Trabaho- “Better education translates to better jobs,” Cayetano said. He proposes for an increase in infrastructure spending to create more jobs to resolve problems on unemployment and underemployment. In additional, he promotes education for employment program. He also proposes the allocation of P500, 000 for each province to support small businesses.

On his PTK launching, Cayetano detailed the lack of government support on local industries such as fishing, farming, furniture making, and shoe making. In order to help these industries, capital lending program supplementary to the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program should be increased to strengthen existing cooperatives, as well as the newly established ones.

3. Kita- Cayetano, in order to make the country entrepenuer-friendly, wants to stop the need for 5-6 lending by increasing business owners’ access to capital.

JACK ENRILE

Here is Jack Enrile video interview.

Here is the audio version which you can also subscribe to in iTunes.

For his 2013 senatorial bid, Enrile’s campaign focuses on his vision of Filipinos being able to provide food for themselves. He proposes the view of Food Sovereignty as opposed to Food Security.

Food security and food sovereignty are not quite the same thing. Strictly speaking, food security means having enough food for your constituents whether or not this is sourced locally or through imports. Food sovereignty, on the other hand, means having enough food for your constituents which is grown and sourced entirely from local food producers.

GRINGO HONASAN
Here is the recorded video of our livestream interview with Gringo Honasan .

Here is the audio version that you can also subscribe to in iTunes.

Gringo Honasan’s legislative agenda:

1.National Land Use Policy
Senator Honasan sponsored National Land Use Act which aims to establish a National Physical Framework Pan for the management and allocation of the country’s natural resources. The plan will categorize land resources into 4 categories: protection(for conservation), production(for crops, fishery, livestock and poultry), settlements development(for residential purposes), and infrastructure development (for transportation, communication, water resources, social infrastructure)

2. People’s Ownership of Government Information(POGI) Act of 2012
Senator Honasan proposes full disclosure of information on Government projects, transactions, documents & records pertaining to public interest.

JUN MAGSAYSAY

Here is Jun Magsaysay interview Part 1

Here is the audio version which you can also subscribe in iTunes.

Ramon Magsaysay Jr. anchored his platforms on JOBS(Justice, Opportunities, Business, and Security)

Justice Former Senator Magsaysay believes that justice is fair treatment of everybody, that’s why he promotes the following:

• Merit system and the twin policies of transparency and accountability
• Strengthening the implementation of programs and similarly submitting legislation that encourage people to know their right and access to matters/information of public concern (the so-called “sunshine laws”)
• Working for programs that would prioritize health care, abundant potable water and a morality-based public service
• Adherence to constitutional framework/time frame for deciding cases, cognizant that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’

Opportunities Magsaysay said that if he would be elected as senator this 2013 elections, one of his bills would be the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund, patterned after the Temasek Fund of Singapore – a silent pillar of that country’s success in providing opportunities, education, health care and employment to their citizens.

Business He promotes that competitiveness in business can be hastened by a simplified government procedure. According to Magsaysay, it is significant thus to continuously advocate legislation with the intention of “simplifying bureaucracy”.

Security For Magsaysay, security means peace and order. He always adheres to the path of peace, and he believes that for all things to prosper, security in all forms must be ordained.

CYNTHIA VILLAR

Here is the recorded livestream video with Cynthia Villar on Tuesday, March 5.

Here is the audio version which you can also subscribe to in iTunes.

Among other elements in her platform, Cynthia is pushing for livelihood opportunities for the poor. Lately, she has been traveling around the country, providing orientation and training (and even machinery and materials) to groups of women who want to organize small businesses. “I don’t give money,” she declares, “because I would rather give people the skills and know-how to earn for themselves and their families.”

Here is the recorded video from livestream (start at the 25 mark)