Podcast & Transcript: Blog Watch chat with Cynthia Villar on nurses’ comment & platforms

Disclosure: Blog Watch does not receive any compensation or payment in cash or in kind for any of our interviews and social media coverage.

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.

Cynthia Villar (CV): So ang laki pala ng team niyo, blogwatch. How do you define Blogwatch??

Mom Blogger (MB):  It’s actually a group of friends, we’re all friend that comes together. Anyway we started showing your statement sometime in Saturday, knowing that digital media will help you pick it up not knowing that people will and help you with the damage control not realizing that your tweeter will shut down on Sunday. Maybe you could start explaining what happened to the nurses, and why you shutdown your tweeter. Basically people want you to discuss what rumors is because you know that there is no such thing as rumors and basically to give you time to expand because we know that people are bashing you about the issue .

CV: First of all I want to apologize to the nurses I did not want to hurt them and I did not to intend to do so I was answering the question of what the situation does happen seven years ago and I was explaining yung solution naming to the problem of closure the school of nursing and I was trying to explain to Winnie that we would have wanted na icoclose ang school but we would give certificates to the students who will not finish the schools to give them certificates what they have accomplished in the school for less than two years so they can find in health related facilities na BSN and how do you describe that ano, wala akong mahanap na word to defscribe that so nasabi ko yung room nurse which sai ng mga nurse na hindi tama so yun lang yun I made a mistake in the choice of word so I tried talking to people who did not finish BSN to the closure of school so they can have certificate so they can have not in the health related facilities kasi hindi naman nila natapos yung BSN .

MB: So that’s all you want to say on the issue?

CV: It’s a very.. visible issue and they are telling me the cause of resignation but that nurses are not interested in that they are interested in that statement came about . I was telling Monsod sa amin I was the committee on higher technical education we would have wanted those student who will be displaced will be given certificates of what they have accomplished s they can work on the health related facilities kasi during that time ang laki-laki din ng demand not only sa nurses but for caregivers, nursing assistant but we don’t have whatever health related service, what maybe is that they can qualify in that area para di naman masayang yung kanilang work sa school tsaka yung pera na naspend ng parents to send them to school.

MB: just ask a last question, would you want to address the nurses now because there are many nurses who are working in New York initially reacted negatively so maybe you can address..

CV: So I want to ask their, I want to apologize that when I said room nurse I wasn’t talking nurses, I’m talking students who did not finish BSN because of the closure of the school to be given certificates so they can have their work as any position they are entitled to in a health related facility not necessarily nurse kasi hindi naman sila natapos ng Nursing so the, I was not able to finish the sentence because the we are given only 30seconds to answer and the mali pa yung choice ko ng room nurse so the ayaw nila kasi na.. ayaw kasi nila ng room nurse I don’t know what they want to call that position but parang hindi natapos ng BSNbut they can work on health related facilities and because they have finished two years of BSN .

MB: Ma’am you said that your father was a doctor?

CV: Yes he was a municipal health doctor for 10 years during when I was young . And my aunt the sister of my father was the head of out patient facility, nurse of PGH. And so many of my sister and many of my nieces are nurses so it’s not the profession I do not like there are many in my family who are nurses it’s just that I was misquoted I did not find the right words to say because I was just anwering the question for 30 second I’m given 30seconds to answer the question and it’s a difficult issue during that time because during that time there were 33 nursing schools which will be close and we were trying to find a common ground that they will be acceptable to CHED schools that will be close . But it get out of hand it went beyond us because one of the school filed the case so it went to court so when it went to court it’s beyond us already so what happen afterwards I cannot intervent because what happen which will demand the case.

MB: I have two questions, I heard your statement so what can you say about the privatization of government hospitals..

CV: I was doing oversight for our Las Pinas General Hospital that hospital is situated in my district it starde as a small hospital, 30 beds and in the years that I helped it, it becames tertiary hospital and I saw the kind of patients who go to that hospital, lahat sila mahirap so pag pinrivitize mo I don’t think na yung mga private na hospital will be able to service yung mga mahihirap na tao kasi wala naman silang pera e, they don’t have money that’s why they go to POH operated hospitals and we fund that many of the public official they give a fund to those kind of hospital para kapag may mag papagamot na mahihirap dun may magagastos so I don’t think it will work in a private.

MB: Will you fight for that?

CV: Ye, I will fight for that.

MB: and then next question so why you shutdown your tweeter account?

CV: no, I was not the one, there was someone managing my account for me. Baka din kasi yung nag manage also did not want to so all those bad comments.

MB: so Cynthia Villar have her social media team before this thing happen?

CV: yes meron na.

MB: So you see a need in a social media team right now?

CV: naman, they want to volunteer because they are working with our company.

MB: but before it was not that big..

CV: no,no that was a informal thing.

MB: do you believe that you need one that more formal right now?

CV: ahm.. Maybe? Maybe some people to help but not really a big thing.

MB: but you are talking to 400,000 thousand nurses talking about it..

CV: we will see.. we will see..

MB: they say that if your going to this thing, call all the OFW you know, they are saying it right now, I don’t know if that’s true but it’s a strategy on social media.

CV: I have talk to some of them already and I have talk to some Philippine nursing Associations and they just want my apology and there were going to talk about it kasi it’s not against OFW but helping OFW it’s just that I didn’t say the right word.

MB: but it’s because it’s social media and it spread out. It might good to really have a professional strategy to be able to overcome this issue.

CV: We will see..

MB: I think right now a lot of them are still open the nurses and their family because it was only 30 seconds but I think you need something is directly address for you to be able to reach out to them..

CV: Yeah, we will take that chance.

MB: there is comment related to that right now.. the person says that you don’t really care about social media.

CV: ah, no, no. It’s just that I’m or we have been trying to you know when you an organization on your end it doesn’t come you know you have to develop it and I guess that’s not our forte yet. You can say that you cannot build a social media group overnight you know it has to evolve and I think our evolution is not that fast.

MB: they know that you are not social media fan, now they are blaming the social media team so, your reaction with the fan wherever they are..

CV: Because I think the issue now is a job and life so if your message is that …

MB: So there’s a question here. Why do you choose particularly livelihood programs in you ads. Why do you associate that.

CV: During the last 12 years of my I was doing livelihood projects. In my district, I was able to build livelihood projects in my barangays, in all my barangays.

MB: Cite some examples.

CV: Like uhm… Like waterlily weaving, coco net weaving, uhm… ahh… uhm… conversion of organic rather kitchen and garden waste to organic fertilizer – so it’s manufacturing out of waste. Kasi aking, my livelihood projects started.. as an… as an… environmental project. We have… We’re… we have… we’re having flooding as our rivers are dirty. They said I had to clean the river so we will not flood in out district. When I was cleaning the river, dredging, I found out that all the content of our river are waste. So any reason is my constituents are throwing waste. Sabi ko, if I do dredging and they do not stop throwing waste, nothing will happen to our program. So by… I started finding technology to process waste and that become their livelihood I was thinking that when it becomes their livelihood then they will not throw away the waste. So that happened processing wastes. The first is the waterlily because they’re causing the flooding then the next one is the waste coconut husk into coconet. Coconet are used for repproping instead of cementing and 80% cheaper than cementing. Then I converted our kitchen/garden waste into organic fertilizer eh kasi ginagamit ko din yon pamigay sa farmers kasi maraming sa farmers hindi naman sila makabili ng fertilizer. Then the plastic, we pulvorize the plastic… to be raw materials for hollow blacks and papers. Because if you put plastic in hollow blacks and papers with the rocks and the cement the hollow blocks become sturdy. So good.. good material. And now we’re building a… ah… factory making use of uh… waste plastic into school chairs. Nakuha namin yung technology sa Davao. And then we are ano… waste papers… we are turning turning into handmade paper for gift boxes, goft bags, for stationaries, for diplomas and all that. I learn that from uhh… a small town in Misamis Oriental na uh… ang livelihood nila don… the whole town is making handmade paper. And they’re exporting it to Japan and Germany. So my idea is to collect all technology to process waste into it para mabawasan yung waste natin para hindi nila ithrow to the river. In fact I won a UN award for that.

MB: So that is what you are doing for your constituents, how do you bring that advocacy to…

CV: No. I have brought it. When I finished my term as congresswoman in 2010, I became the managing director of the foundation. As of today, I have establish 111 all over the Philippines.

MB: 111?

CV: Livelihood.

MB:  Livelihood.

CV: All over the Philippines.

MB: What is that in terms of… what is the value of this?

CV: Kasi uhh… lahat ng livelihood ko uhh… parang it’s a small factory so parang ang beneficiaries usually ay 50 families.

MB:  Per?

CV: Yeah I don’t build for individuals. I build for a community. So halimbawa 111 so that’s 50 families so thousands of families.

MB:  Is that going to be really one of the priority…

CV: Yeah… I will

MB: Advocacies in the senate?

CV: No, no. It’s my advocacy. Personal advocacy in the Villar foundation. And I am going to do this. I promise them uhm that I uhm going to do it in the next 10 years to be able to reach… we have 1600 counts of cities and I’ve only reached 111. I have a long way to go.

MB: Do you need to have legislation to push that? More of uhh, support?

CV: You know it’s…

MB: Support system because You know sometimes we need incentives

CV: Kasi dito eh, you buy machineries, you do training, it’s more executive than legislative. Ngayon kung halimbawa meron… may budget… You’ll… you are able to… to… kase legislative… budgeting is legislation also so to put more it to a national budget if we can’t put more then we do more. But as a person. I can do it with what I have. Kaya lang it’s not as fast but I think… kasi ang Las Piñas I did it in 9 years. Every barangay. So maybe another 10 years… my ano… but if… if the government can help me ‘no in the the process, then it will be fast. Ang mga kapartner ko naman dito mga LGUs eh. Yung mga LGUs na willing… I would uhh do projects in their locality or the NGOs who are willing to partner with me. Parang group of people also because if I do a project in a city. Hindi naman ako taga, Metro Manila, ako’y in a province… I cannot be there all the time. I have to have uhm… a partner there who will continue the while I… after I had established the factory. I’ts a little, it’s a small factory and benefiting 50 families and actually yun any model. I have a model.

MB: So it’s a social enterprise?

CV: Yes. It’s a social business. That’s why… yun ang hanepbuhay ko. Because when they ask… when they ask me… ano ba yung ginawa mo because I have to be identified exactly with something that I have done and that is something that I have done during that last 12 years. Establishing uhm… small factories in an small communities. Kasi, kaya ganon ang model ko kasi ang tinatarget mo are people who cannot go to the formal work place because the woman they have children and some of them… alam mo to go to a formal workplace, you have to be highschool graduate, diba? Minimum requirement yan maski factory. Eh hindi naman sila. So yun yung model ko. I just teach them the skills. These are manual skills so hindi naman kailangan mataas ang pinagaralan mo and then it’s visible because my livelihood are beside their houses. I… I… I build livelihood centers near their house where they can walk and bring their children. So while working, the children are playing.

MB:  Would it be a good model for OFWs or do you have any other plans.

CV: No we have this OFW and family summit every November with GONegosyo. What we do is we introduce. We introduce or invite families. Their families because their not here so only their families. Then we introduce them to mga a kind of business that they can do and the uhh… tapos nun tinuturuan namin sila ng finance marketing, accounting and all that. So it’s a one pay affair. Usually ang attendance limang libo. All… all OFW families. And then yung mga business like small franchises naglalagay na sila ng training. Ano pa ba yung andyan? Anu nga yon. Yung sa…

MB: World Trade?

CV: Oo World Trade. And then yung mga, meron na silang maioffer sa mga OFWs families nag bu-booth sila doon. Para maka-ask ng information ang OFW families but these are small businesses. We don’t want them to engage doon sa malalaki. Baka magkamali malaki ang lugi. But small ones that maybe their families are able to establish their own businesses. Later on, yung kanilang mga OFWs, yung kanilang OFW loved ones, din a kailangan bumalik kasi na silang hanapbuhay. Kasi yun naman ung reason kaya they are going abroad because they don’t have. So yun ang aming-iba yon. Ibangg klase yon kasi yon may maliit silang puhunan and then may of… most of them are educated also so they can take care of themselves you just need to show them what are the opportunities open. Of course, if they want to do something… uhm… uhm… I can help them. It’s their option but we want them to do it on their own.  They have the resources naman eh. We just have to open the opportunities.

MB: Your program has been criticized for not having a long – term solution to…

CV: Which one?

MB: To the OFWs.

CV:  So what are these programs that we are talking about?

MB: They won’t have this long term.

CV: Yon, one of our programs. Another one of our programs is skills upgrading program which we do with the office center like pag bumalik, nagkaproblema, nag ooffer kame ngayon ng mga… mga scholarship for short term courses every quarter. At yung ino-offer namin ay yung… uhh… medaling makahanap ng trabaho. Ngayon, ang raise ngayon ay ang Hotel Restaurant Management courses kasi yun ang mas maraming opening. So we do that. Uhh… every quarter yun. Iba’t iba pero all OFWs returnees…

MB: Follow – up question regarding Hanepbuhay. How can you bring your hanepbuhay projects in the senate because people are saying this is more of a executive decisions rather legislative. So why are using that as your marketing… how fo you plan to use this at the senate?

CV: Alam mo, uhm, when I go to the senate it will not only be livelihood but jobs kasi when you talk about jobs. It is beyond on what I am doing now. But they are together, they are providing jobs, livelihood to people so… Now when you talk of creating jobs it’s legislation kasi… one of the… uhh… biggest industry natin would be agriculture. Agriculture kasi if you will look all around Philippines 70%… almost 70% of all out people are in agriculture. So then you go to the senate because AFMA Agriculture, Fisheries, Modernization Act. Because in… that piece of legislation you’re supposed to help the farmers in a helping them be a… uhh… productive. And uhh… competitive.

MB: So whatever kind of law are you going to offer or…

CV: It’s the uhh… review of the AFMA. Review Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act… for the agricultural center. For the employment of uhh… other people, we have to repeal the incentives to… uhh… industries or businesses. Because ahh… kailangang i-encourage natin… ang incentive natin should go to business that will promote employment. And so… kasi pag binigay natin doon sa hindi nag propromote… uhh… nagpropromote ng employment then it will not help the people, diba? Kasi ang problema natin unemployment. Diba? So yunang ano natin. Yung incentives to businesses,  small, micro and medium enterprises that will promote employment. And of course, uhh, one of the first things I will refile uhh… locate on the deparment of audit. It was not passed and uhh… we hope to pass it in the next go. Ano lang yon… uhh… unemployment uhh… and uhh… agriculture. Kasi with that 12 million OFWs, dami non, one OFW per family.

MB: So Department of OFWs differs from department of Labor?

CV: Because now uhh… ang nagcacater sa OFW is uhh…uhh… ang iba department of Foreign Affairs ang iba, department of Labor, it’s not centralized. When you have a problem, who’s responsible and uhm there are 12 million OFWs ano. Kung icocompute mo lahat ng pamilya may OFWs. Ang their remitting 22 million in the economy every year. That’s the formal remittance di pa kasama yung informal outlet pero yung mga dala nila pag uwi nila sa bulsa sila di pa yun binibilang. Eh now, ano bang industry na department na ganyan ang contribution sector? Diba? Yon ask yourself. Sino bang industry may ganyang kalaki contribution sector? They said it is their remittance that uhh… keeps our economy a blast. So I believe that

MB: So you want a separate department for –

CV: Yeah. Iba yung version nga eh.

MB: Isn’t that DOLE…

CV: Kasi it’s a combination – DOLE, OFA. So if you have problems, who will be blamed? Where will you go? There is confusion. Diba maganda, ikaw lang isa, ikaw lang nag kaproblema, ikaw lang may kasalanan. Hindi yung pwedeng DOLE, pwedeng DFA. Diba?

MB: So your plans one by one… review of AFMA or the Agriculture, Fisheries, Modernization Act.

CV: Kasi yan ang magproprovide ng input sa agriculture, harvest facilities, irrigation facilities at tsaka yung farm inputs. To there… it’s very important to make our agricultural sector productive and competitive cause may mga problema sila. They buy yung imports tapos may smuggling pa. So we have to strengthen the agricultural sectors because according to statistics 70% of the poor are in agricultural land. So it’s very important. So the next one would be uhh… levels uhh… promotion of employment. That would be uhh… incentives for business and small, medium and micro enterprises that will promote income distribution and uhm, of course, OFWs. And uhh… the free trade in the department.

MB:  Ang tanong po dito, follow – up lang, all there programs that you are saying, where you planning on getting it on pork barrel or legislation ?

CV: No. Yung pork barrel is part nung legislation. Don’t of the market yon. Kaya kame pork barrel, nasa budget yon eh. So when you make a budget it’s legislation. So it’s they’re both. One and the same. Government yon. So I will get uhh… so when I become senator… I will use my budget… uhh… pero I… alam mo, minsan kasi yung budget ng government… mabagal I – access… uhh… eh… it’s a long process because nga diba. Isang time na gusto mong gumawa ng project, hindi mo mahintay yun eh, Kasi mabagal. I am not part of legislation. I’m a private person managing the Villar Foundation. Hopefully naman kasi it’s a good bill. Magreklamo dyan, the first I see is the DBM. Because that would be… ano… uhm… sabihin nila, additional budget. But what we will do is a portion of the OFW labor mapupunta sa OFW services diba department. Parang imemerge. Tatanggalin sa DOLE at DFA, mapupunta sa isang department.

MB: But when moving a budget…

CV: We just have to try.

MB: Based on our discussions this is a lawyer, of the the Magna Carta, we got feed that the legislations are allergic to putting up new departments…

CV: Kasi ang problema ng ating departments, they are departments na hindi na relevant kasi dapat ang department of government, duty – relevant to the times diba? That’s my opinion. Kasi nung araw, iba ang problema natin eh. Ngayon iba. Nung araw, wala naman tayong OFWs ngayon sobra sa dami ang OFWs. Uhh, we should be responsive to what’s happening today. We should not be burdened by what has happened in the past, maybe we can find some na hindi na relevant na issue. Diba? Uhm… na bureaucracy na di na relevant. Kasi nung araw ibang  ang uso, ngayon, iba ang uso. Even sa trabaho iba ang uso. Nung araw wala naman tayong BPO, diba? Nung araw, wala naman tayong OFWs except the seaman. But now, lahat, diba? Times have changed. And we should change with the change with the time. Ngayon kamo mahirap. Oo mahirap. But we should try. Diba?

MB: You’re confident that you can do this?

CV: I will try. I think but uhh… you can never say okay until it has happened. Ganyan tayo kasi Na – train tayo na kapag hindi mo nagawa, wag mong sabihing kaya mo.

MB: Kasi we’ve seen your ads at the start of the campaign period. Someone is asking, how much did you spend, uhm, prior to the campaign period?

CV:  One was spent nun aming foundation, yung aming mga benefactor ng foundation spent for it.

MB:  You have a number?

CV: No, no. I… kaya lang ako nakasali don kasi ako ang kanilang… uhh… uhh… managing director. I’m the one representing it but it’s 20 years of our foundation. And it’s private naman. When you spent private money, you are not supposed to account the people. But is to account the people is the public funds diba?

MB: So the candidates are a bit…

CV: No,no. That’s the foundation doing it’s advocacy. It’s not even part of the campaign period. Yun ang duo… uhh… we always… have follow the law, we have a law on campaign financing and we follow that.

MB: But it’s not necessary to that even if you follow the law is right. It’s like pushing others to campaign and it’s not leveling the playing field. So the question there is more on delikadesa.

CV: You know. When you… when you have resources, it’s also difficult, because people expect more from you. When you are, you don’t have resources, they’re very nice to you . They won’t ask anything from you. So it’s also a burden to have resources, it’s not always… uh… uh… it’s also a liability. They expect more from you.

MB: They expect more in terms of what?

CV: Oh. Of…of what you can do for them. Ang expectation ng tao depende sa perception nila sa buhay so yun nga ang sinasabi ko na it’s not always a… uhh… uhh.. uhh… positive thing that they would think you have so much resources because they expect a lot more from you. I have seen it eh.

MB:  From the spendings or too much spending would you except to recover from it if ever?

CV: Why do I have to recover? I don’t know if I could recover.

MB: It’s because of this too much spending when it’s friends who spend there is like this built in utang na loob ?

CV: No, no. It’s family. My family. It’s… it’s… it’s… uhh the money they earned and thet help me and this is even a foundation. They’re… they’re supporting a foundation. They want the people to know that after 20 years that we are existing so we have that ad. Baka kasi akala ng tao, wala kaming ginawa. So uhh… it’s a…

MB: Do you want to promote it for PDIs? But it doesn’t really sit well with others to see an ad that costs a lot for 30 seconds. A suggestion would be posting videos on YouTube. It does come out as

CV: We will use the social media also. Expensive for ordinary people.

MB: What sets you apart from the proposal regarding OFWs?

CV: The real proponent of OFWs is my husband… he really have a heart for OFW because the first buyer of our house… yung unang tao na nagtiwala sa amin – bumili ng bahay mula sa amin is an OFW family. The family of a seaman and we have never… that was uhh… during the first year of our housing business and he never forgot that so it’s more of a… kanyang way of paying back. So I am just continuing it kasi if I can do something for the OFWs in the future then I should do it because it started with my husband. I want to… I would add to what he is doing. So… so

Carlo: Were bringing in our heavyweight trivia. Literally

CV: So we really have an OFWs… so meron kaming uhh… every year we do this. We do repatriation, we do mediacal assistance, we do livelihood assistance, we have this uhh… ano nga… uhh… we have this OFW summit… OFW family summit with go Negosyo every year. We have this year quarter skills program with the center. So… it’s really ano an on going. We do it every year. It’s a program of the Villar Foundation.

MB: Eto po may follow – up po regarding dun sa department ng OFWs, uhm… what will you do now with the POEA, OWWA and DFA. Sasabihin nila dagdag gastos lang to create a new department.

CV: No, no. They can transfer to that department because their concern is OFW.

MB: So what do you do with –

CV: Centralized. Hindi aalisin yan. Pagsasamhin ung OFW Concerns in one department pero kapag may nangyari, sila pupuntahan.

 

CV: …………..into one management

MB: Setting aside the OFW, because right now your husband is in senate and you’re also running…

CV: He’s ending his term in June 2013. I will not run if he’s still. There is no need; he’s ending his term we will not be together.

MB: Ma’am about the RH bill I wanted to know why you voted….

CV: No, I did not vote I’m a supporter and I’m a pro life my husband voted for the RH Bill. I ended my term as a congress woman last 2010. I’ am now a private citizen I just want to correct it I’m now a private citizen managing the Villar Foundation.

MB: So you have a different view of the RH Law?

CV: No, no I’m pro life I’m with my husband he vote against the RH Bill.

MB: No, It is actually a law right now.

CV: Yah, yah yung pag boto, oo it’s a law right now. I am pro life.

MB: There are moves now to repeal that law are you going to be part of that ano..

CV: It depends, what would be, it depends what would be… kasi ang amendment ibat-ibang klase yan e, ano ba ang amendment? Kung okay yung amendment I will support it.

MB: Ma’am you graduated from UP

CV: Yes

MB: What course po?

CV: BA, Business Administration

MB: Ma’am in terms of your entering you had legislative experience in congress

CV: Yes, Ive been a congresswoman for 9 years

MB:  And the bout of your agenda was in…

CV: Women, children, family and education pero I authored also the micro-enterprise

 

MB: Ma’am if you will be in the senate you’ve mention a field that of a specific agenda in for championing so between the digital period which will be priority in terms of legislative agenda and…

CV: You have to start all of them at the same time kasi alam mo ang hirap ng legislation 3 years lang ang each congress. So 3 years might not be enough for you to finish so ang idea diyan is when you seat you start para yung 3 years mo matake advantage mo.

MB: So basically what will you start in terms of sa legislation.

 

CV: I’ll re-file the department of OFWs I review the ACMA and find the ways of which it can be approve I will review the incentive, all of them are reviewing them now kasi yung mga tax incentives natin yung mga incentives to business they did this decades ago parang they want to update and they want to review kasi marami e na iba-iba. so they want to consolidate and update base on what happening now kasi yung mga pinassed 10 years ago baka hindi na applicable.

MB: Tapos in terms of ….we all know more or less we communicate by the  internet in that sense what type of deliberation will you support in the senate in terms of cyber space, internet in the cyber crime

CV: a diba may problem pa tayo sa cybercrime it is still in the supreme court

MB: What’s your view on cybercrime law?

CV: Dapat naman may law talaga, kaya lang they’re questioning it supreme court so maghi hintay tayo sa decision ng supreme court kasi sinasabi nila hindi constitutional.

MB: There is a new bill that was filed supposedly to replace that, this new bill was a crowd source bill from the netizens and it was studied by Senator Mirriam and filed by her as a bill

CV: I haven’t seen that bill pa kasi

MB: But can you help by taking look at the bill

CV: can you e-mail to me or i’ll find it sa legislation

MB: we’ll send a copy to you

MB: the cybercrime law is very important to look up and not many legislators are aware that internet freedom…and young even as young as 16 so …

CV: Siguro nag over react lang sila like sobra na sa some ano na yung nag vi-view lang ng crime

MB: Do you want to make a commitment that you will look into this, and make sure that it’s constitutional

CV: We should not pass anything that is unconstitutional that’s against the constitution we should not infringe in the rights of the people, kaya nga nasa supreme court na siya e kasi sa tingin nila may infringement on the rights of the people.

MB: Kasi ho it is very important since if you’re going to be a senator it will go into your term already the discussion, so for us as netizens who are affected by this law it’s very important for us whoever we elect in the senate will really clearly  open their minds to reviewing whatever is wrong with the law.

CV: No problem.

MB: Mayroon ho ba kayo diyan na set up ng constitution

CV: They will give me a copy of what they ano… and I have to read it.

MB: Because as far as I’m concern, that Magna Carta for internet freedom actually addresses the real cyber crime but at the same time it removes the violations.

CV: Yun lang naman I think ang concern nila yung walang abuse, but it’s not meant to infringe the freedom of the people.

MB: How do you use the internet, how does Cynthia Villar use the internet?

CV: I think the internet will be more popular as time goes on kasi it is evolving din e.

MB: On a personal level, how do you use it?

CV: Kasi I was not born in an internet generation e, that’s my problem but I’m trying to understand. I really tried to understand it I know it will be the future I am very aware of that so

MB: Do you use your e-mail now? Do you use cell phone, laptop, and smart phones?

CV: Cell phone, text mas simple. Hindi yang katulad ng sa inyo ang gagaling niyo. (Laughs) In the same manner na nung ako ay elementary, nag simula yung arithmetic tapos noong high school ako… nung college ako nag simula yung modern man na hindi yata nagpareho yung point of view ng arithmetic at modern man. Iyong ganoong confusion ba it’s between generations.

 

MB: Tapos mayroon po kasing study na base on students………

CV: As a student it’s a must, wala na yan in this generation it’s a must what I’m talking of was our generation na talaga namang we are not born that way but during this generation there is no question about it.

MB: Maraming mga elementary even sa highschool sa certain area in the Philippines, like even now dito sa Luzon na some of them don’t even use computer, internet.

CV: A yung sa mga public schools dahil sa kahirapan nila, but we try in our public schools, I don’t know in the provinces but in our city. Mayroon pa kaming college na IT college lang walang. Dalawa ang public college namin, isang regular public college at isang IT College to give imortance to the IT, oo nag dalawa kami may separate yung IT college

MB: Did you consider any legislation on this alleviation problem?

CV: Kasi ano yan e, budget na how much of your budget will be allocate for IT equipments ahh kami naman during may term and even my son who was a congressman, We always give, we try to give every schools a computer room, lahat lahat ng school may computer room.

MB: If ever you’ll be a senator

CV: Pwede kayo mag pass ng legislation to require na every school may computer room para ma ano sa IT, public school, pero sa amin lahat ng public schools meron.

MB: Siguro you see that also if you go in the ano yung broadband development natin sa Philippines kasi kahit people have in hand the internet kung walang galaw kasi yan….

CV: it’s the problem of the province sa amin sa manila walang problem sa metro manila walang problem its the problem of the provinces so if I may look into that iyun na nga ang sinasabi ko ‘in legislation you cannot expect your law maker to have full knowledge of everything ang pagkakamali ng mga citizens they expect na ang law makers nila akala nila alam lahat, ‘hindi namin alam lahat so you have to feed, you have to lobby, you have to tell us what ,kasi minsan napapasa ang legislation without the point of view of the others, parang sa atin kasi hindi uso iyong lobbying e.

MB: Pero hindi kami sanay sa lobbying.

CV: You have to.

MB: Our lobbying is online.

CV: E kung hindi online yung nilo-lobby niyo?

MB: That’s why we’re trying to convince all the politicians now to be online because there is where the new lobbying is happening.

MB: So I’m trying to clarify because somebody in the internet was not happy with your comment when you associated ICT, information communication technology you answer in the internet associate it right away with crime.

CV: Anong crime?

MB: Cyber crime

CV: No. tingin ko kaya lang sila nag lagay ng mga provisions na ganoon because of the abuses pero they don’t want to infringe not the whole bill, but yung di’ba na declare unconstitutional is yung freedom parang nai-infringe yung freedom, pero actually kaya lang sila nag lagay ng ganoon because of the abuses pero they were not meant to infringe the freedom

MB: Kasi po it went overboard e

CV: Yun nga, but hindi the whole cyber crime bill kasi yung sa inyo it’s more of iniba na ninyo e it’s the whole industry may mga law na regulatory may mga law that encourages so parang binasa ko itong law na ito parang regulatory, yung na-passed na law but kayo I think you would want a law na hindi lang regulatory but something that help encourage the industry

MB: Actually the reason for the Magna Carta is because that cyber crime law actually does not even address all kinds of cyber crime.

CV: Kaya nga yung iyo magna-carta for Philippine Freedom it’s more broader ito kasing napasa na law it’s more of regulatory not the broader thing, kaya sabi ko nga there are different kinds of laws mayroong laws not only to regulate but to encourage to help and mayroong regulatory so…

MB: But actually when it was a crowd source bill, IT people were actually included, lawyers, IT people so mas alam nila kung ano ang mas sakop ng cyber crime na kailangan talaga

CV: I understand that, for me kasi kung ma-declare ito na unconstitutional, can we do another law that more or less mas broader hindi lang nire-regulate but helping also and encouraging

MB: O yes, that’s very good.

CV: Yun lang ang difference

MB: We would like to introduce another member of blog watch,

MB: What’s with PDAF?

CV: di’ba ano na combination na , ang PDAF kasi hindi livelihood ang pork will go to livelihood, but ang mas na mas talaga na nagdadala ng PDAF ay ang funding sa DOH operated sa ospital kasi maraming humihingi ng gamot or health services actually majority of our PDAF will go to regional hospitals, trust fund ng regional hospitals, para pag may humingi sayo na mao-ospital sila, gamot o kung ano doon na nila kukunin so iyon ang majority siguro ang PDAF baka ano iyon 20 million out of 50 that’s about mga 30 % or 40 % will go to funding ng mga hospitals kasi doon madami nang hihingi, magtataka ka ang daming may sakit sa Pilipinas ng may sakit sa Pilipinas a part will go to livelihood, a part will go to what else

MB: Will some part goes to infrastructure ma’am?

CV: No, no, iba ang infra e kasi yung soft part iba iyon ang hard puro naman public works iyon e i-iidentify iyon.

MB: Kasi madami nga po yun e yung mga letter na guarantee.

CV: Oo ganyan everyday (gestured her hand how high the compilation of papers are)

MB: Yung mga nagka-kasakit kasi kapag pumupunta silang ospital humihingi sila ng letter sa mga congressman,

CV: Kasi alam mo base on studies ang atin daw medicines ang bumibili ng 80% of medicine purchases A, B ang C yung 20 % tapos wala ng pinang bibili yung D, E so yung D, E will be dependent on government support kaya ganoon ang daming nilalagay doon, in fairness sa mga legislators ang daming nasa ospital na pondo na ipinamimigay nila.

MB: I can recall your husband before because one of his platforms was to establish the health I mean the hospitals, is he continue doing that?

CV: Ngayon kasi nag eestablish nagpa pass na ng bill sa Universal Health. Kapag Universal health care lahata na covered di’ba? ico-cover ng government yung mahihirap sa PhilHealth

MB: A hindi kailangang nag wowork sila?

CV: Hindi, hindi subsidy na iyon ipina-pasa na nila yung bill na iyon, Universal Health we will support that.

MB: What do you think about people who are saying that ‘why are you running, what are your views on political dynasty?

CV: Kapag pinass nila yung Anti-Political Dynasty then we don’t run, kung covered kami ha.

MB: Pero what are your views on that?

CV: A depende sa version ng, ano ba ang definition ng political dynasty? Kung ano iyung pinasa na law kung pinsan mo ba hindi ka pwedeng tumakbo dahil tumakbo yung pinsan mo or your immediate family, maraming definition ang dynasty.

MB: What definition do you want? Do you want to get from us the definition you will solicite?

CV: No, may naka file na, na law si Senator Mirriam Defensor Santiago

MB: Pero kung kayo ano pong definition niyo ng political dynasty?

CV: Kung ako ang ano ko, of course the people will decide on this kasi hindi naman ako majority, the people will decide kasi ako I never take yung ikaw ay family na mabuti that are serving well it should be taken against you, parang sa akin mali din iyon, piliin kung sino yung maganda mag serve di’ba pero kung sasabihin ng tao ‘ basta ayaw namin ng dynasty’ then so be it. Sa akin personally ako parin, whether you are serving well or not iyon ang measure whether they will vote for you or not pero kung sabihin ng tao na ‘ayaw namin niyan gusto namin just limited to this. No problem.

MB: kungbaga kung ano po ang nasa batas iyon yung susundin niyo

CV: Kasi mahirap makipag argue may mga tao na di’ba they just follow the majority that is the essence of democracy naman e, if the people would want then that’s followed.

MB: So your making a commitment that you will vote for no to anti dynasty

CV: Depende kung anong version

MB: What do you mean anong version?

CV: Like yung sinasabi ni Mirriam yung version niya it allows me to run kasi tingin ko ang version niya wala kayo sa iisang lugar, e ako national ako, hindi ko kasabay si Senator Villar.

MB: So father, mother, children hindi pwedeng mag kasabay.

CV: Yes, hindi mag kasabay in the local or national position. Like if you run for local and your mother run for national hindi iyon illegal, masama yung 2 kayo sa same or sa national or sa local

MB: So senator and congressman

CV: Pero never yung 2 congressman yung isang locality mag pamilya, iba yung version niya e

MB: 4 in the family

CV:  Ay hindi na (laughs)

MB: So far okay naman daw po yung sa inyo?

CV: Yah were okay daw sabi ni Mirriam we haven’t read her own version but sabi niya ‘no. they’re not dynasty’

MB: Do you think Nancy Binay have shown enough to run for senator?

CV: It’s not fair to Nancy, I don’t want to say anything about others may parang hindi naman tama iyon.

(Conversation of blog watch team about Nancy on people’s response in social networking sites)

MB: Nawala tuloy yung attention (laughs)

CV: No comment ako diyan kasi hindi maganda iyon, commenting on other candidates. I don’t want to do that that’s not fair.

MB: Ma’am another question po, studies by GDP growth correlates with internet speed so I know you just tell us that you’re not really very internet fashioned but based on that study will you able to talk about it why…

CV: Ano iyon sa GDP? siguro kasi kaya nila…I’m not aware of that study but I think progress is ano din e technology. If the technology is better, then the progress is fast, I believed in that. kasi ako even in my livelihood projects I’m successful kasi I’ve found the technology to process technology is very important and internet is technology so I can believe

MB: So If ever we ask for your support, would you?

CV: Yah I’m a believer of technology kasi it facilitates everything e

MB: We have a lot of willing people to teach you now; we can actually engage you on twitter if you are going to be the one personally once in a while not naman all the time.

 

CV: You know It’s my assistant who gets my messages and everynight he give me all the messages so you just send her the messages I’ll give you her number and thenI can get everything at night.

MB: Pero even when you tweet back she will also get it

CV: A ganon. kasi minsan hindi ako naka bantay e and I’m not very good so it’s my assistant kinukuha niya lahat ng messages and then ibinibigay niya sa akin at the end of the day, when I go home before I sleep if I’m so tired I’ll do it in the morning if I’m not tired I’ll do it in the evening.

Carlo: Para lang to clarify pagdating kasi sa mga campaigns even national or local most of the cabinets talaga lalo na during campaign period hindi nila kayang sabay ang lahat e. Laolong lalo na you are in the Philippines talagang kampanya, sugod pa rin kung saan saang parte ng Pilipinas.

MB: Kasi ang importante kasi after once elected importante kasi that we are able to speak directly to the…..

CV: I’m not very good in that but I have a patient office, I have a personal assistant that gets all my messages and give me at night.

MB: You are not around when we asked about the social media thing, you came in to help I understand

Carlo: We are helping

MB: informally?

Carlo: We are engaged talaga to help.

MB: Ah you’re engaged talaga, so did you suggest it? because peole are really criticizing her.

We asked mike earlier,

Carlo: A yung pagsasara ng ga accounts?

CV: Sinabi ko, somebody close it and it’s closed for less than a day

MB: Are you aware of that?

Carlo: Actually yung nangyari doon

MB: Yah, because your team was criticized about it.

Carlo: It  wasn’t us who closed it first e ang nangyari doon talaga e syempre yung mga mahal sa buhay po ni ma’am talagang nasasaktan doon sa mga nasusulat so even if it makes for sabihin mo na isang weird social media strategy to do that, yung mga taong worried medyo nasaktan talaga so parang hindi na rin mapigilan. So imaginin mo yung anak mo syempre nababasa lahat ng napo post doon so parang it was a good risks fight na rin to be able to fix it. So ako para sa akin all of strategic level kung ako yung tatanungin mo as a professional. Di’ba mayroon siyang indications that it was closed pero you can’t also take away the human element na yung mga anak, staff na nakikita, nababasa ng non-stop talagang nasasaktan. Di’ba nga yung palagi nating sinasabi kay Christopher Lao, ang dapat niya talagang ginawa hindi niya nalang binasa e diba kasi nai stress siya e.

MB: We were under in question; there is really a formal digital thing.

Carlo: At that time wala

MB: So it was just when? Pero ngayon mayroon na?

Carlo: Mayroon na, for social media specifically mayroon na.

MB: Starting Sunday?

Carlo:  Starting yesterday.

MB: Oh Monday, okay, so that’s clear.

Carlo: Yeah

MB: This is a nurse question but has nothing to do with your statement. This has to do with what is your stand on nurses who have to go OJT for several months without pay, most of the time registered nurses have to pay for their OJT

CV: That’s the practice that, I’m not aware of that. It’s so bad. Kawawa naman. Nagtatrabaho na nagbabayad pa. It’s so bad.

MB: So, is there anything you want to do—

CV: We have to look in to that ha. It’s a practice na hindi naman formal tingin ko na…parang nadeveloped lang practice sa industry na hindi naman sanctioned by law or by anybody. So, maybe, it should be, I will refer it yung sa committee on health, we can look into that diba.

Carlo: Pwede rin kayong magtanong ng lighter questions, hindi puro policy—

CV: Okay lang, which ever, which ever, it doesn’t matter.

MB: —

CV: No. Kasi nung gawin nila yung – nila, meron din kaming sariling commitment. So, minimix nalang namin if we can cancel our commitments we go if not then we upset ourselves. Ako naman I tried to be fair to everyone. I try to go as many as possible para naman they will feel that I’m with the team. But, hindi ko rin naman dinidisregard yung mga commitment ko na very important. So mix—

MB: How did you handle the stress in the recent—

CV: Hindi ko na binasa yung mga comments.

MB: Other than that, how did you handle the stress during campaign?

CV: It’s part of ano eh, it’s part of public life.

MB: Senator is a bigger campaign compare to congress

CV: I was part of the campaign of senator Villar, so alam ko yan. That’s part of public life and you should be strong.

MB: So what do you do to take care of this?

CV:  I sleep, I have massages—

MB: How often?

CV: Ahh I sleep every night—

MB: No no, the massage

CV: Ahh everyday if possible

MB:  You look like you lose weight nga eh

CV: Because I changed my eating habits, kasi because of the stress and the hectic schedule hindi ako makatae ng madami. Dati kasi I eat 3 times a day but madami. Ngayon I eat 5 times a day tig kokonti and that’s better daw for the weight.

MB: Can you give us a description of your typical Cynthia Villar day?

CV: Yeah. I wake up at 6, I read all my correspondents and comment on it para they will do it na while I’m away, and then I follow my schedule, and then at night I have my massage and I sleep. It’s just sleep and campaigning.

MB: How many sleep hours do you need?

CV: I need 6, because I don’t take vitamins so I have to sleep.

MB: Do you have a fitness routine—

CV: Unfortunately none

MB: Walking?

CV: I walk a lot. In fact ang problema ngayong campaign may feet na is really damaged. Oo talaga, dami dami ko ng kalyo and all that because I do a lot of walking.

MB: If people ask, I mean people now are saying why should we vote for Cynthia Villar?

CV: I have a very good track record sa legislation. I stayed in congress for 9 years. I was president of the Lady Legislators for 9 years, and I really led them to pass legislation on women, children and family, very good legislation, anti-trafficking, anti-violence, juvenile justice system, protection of children in the work place, the two version of the senior citizen act, the magna carta for the disabled and the magna carta for women.

MB: Are you the author or sponsor—

CV: Yes. I was president. I led them to pass these bills. Every women’s month nandun kami sa senate and house lobbying for this bill kasi pag women’s month they’re very nice to us eh. We’re entitled to one bill. And then ah—

MB: What bill would that be?

CV: Yun nga, yung series na pinass namin. And then, mababait naman kasi kami so pag women’s month pinagbibigyan na nila.

MB: —

CV: Yes, we manage the ano. But actually yung lobbying yung importante, one day lang yun. And then I was chairman of the committee on higher and technical education for 6 years, so that problem arose from that committee. And then, I was a president of the Senate Spouses Foundation, I renovated a charity ward in Philippine General Hospital in 2 years as president of the senate. I was president of Congressional Spouses Foundation. I built 11 regional centers for abused women during my 2 years. I’m a worker. I’m not a talker. I’m very hard working and susulit sila sa akin pag ako na-elect kasi I really work hard.

MB: The – of the a lot of the netizens of monitory at least in the congress is the track record of some absenteeism, so is this something that you can commit to us that if you are going to be a senator that you are going to be—

CV: Kasi naman yung perfect attendance is not a good indication of your work.

MB: Ah hindi naman perfect attendance but there are some—

The bad reasons for not attending—

CV: I’m not an absentee legislator. It’s just that pag committee ka on higher and technical education you have, you’re a member of the board of regents of all the 111 state universities and colleges, so you have commitment to those states and colleges. You have to go around.

MB: Top 3 initial laws

CV: OFW, agriculture, and incentive to industries, to businesses to promote employee. Kasi talagang problema natin livelihood and jobs. Let’s face it, those are problems. And agriculture because ang laki laki ng agricultural sector sa Philippines. If you go around in the Philippines you will realize most of the people are in agriculture.

MB:  Do get Christmas bonus?

CV: Ako? Where?

It’s a MOEE. It’s not really a Christmas bonus, it’s MOEE na may rules naman dyan na on how to spend it. And if they want to be strict on it then gumawa sila ng rules na mahigpit, but you follow the rules. Yung ano, ang masama lang doon, hindi binigyan lahat. Yun ang question doon. But yung MOEE ngayon you’re supposed to spend it and there are guidelines on how you can spend it, and the COA will see to it that you spend it according to the guidelines. Ako, if they want to be more strict then higpitan yung guidelines. Ganyan naman sila eh. Parati nilang pinapalitan yung guidelines, pag naiinis sila hinihigpitan nila, pag hindi sila naiinis inaano nila, niluluwagan nila. Ako I just follow the guidelines para wala ng gulo. Why will you endanger yourself pag di mo finollow yung guidelines, baka mademanda ka pa dyan.

MB: Ma’am you said earlier that having resources is a liability—

CV: In a way, because they expect more from you.

MB: Your constituents—

CV: Everybody.

MB: They want to ask money?

CV: Hindi naman money. Like churches, they ask for contributions to build churches. Your friends if they have advocacy they ask from you diba. If your constituents, at ang problema if they know you have resources nagbigay ka maliit may kasalanan ka pa. Whereas if you don’t have resources bigay ka konti okay yun pero pag may resources they expect more. So, it’s difficult also.

MB: So how do you manage all these?

CV: Kasi iniisip ko kung ano yung tama, kung ano yung right diba na hindi naman nila iisipin na madamot ka and at the same time you can still afford it. So, yun naman, it’s a balancing act.

MB: If the Freedom of Information is filed again are you—

CV: Ah yeah. It was passed in the Senate, hindi lang nagpass sa house. Wala namang problema about accountability. Yung public files that should be accountable, diba? Hindi naman atin pera yun e. Pera yun ng public. We should be accountable.

MB: Ma’am in one forum you said something like people are asking, why Manny Villar fell inlove with you—

CV: It was a joke, and maybe some truism in this that I was helpful. I was encouraging the wives, the women to have their family. Wag nilang pabayaan eh na yung mga lalaki lang ang magtatrabaho kundi tutulong din sila kasi sometimes hindi naman kaya talaga nung father of the family to give, they can feed you but they cannot afford to give you all the things you need, maybe the women should help. Because I was born in a family na ang main breadwinner, women. My lola, nawidowed sya at 30 so 9 children sya lahat ang bumuhay.

MB: College sweethearts kayo diba?

CV: Yes. And my mom, my dad became a public servant so sya lahat ang naghahanapbuhay para isupport kami kasi mahirap namang umasa to a public servant. So I was born…ang nanay ni Manny is a breadwinner also kasi ang kanyang tatay is a government employee, konti lang ang sweldo. So  I was born in a family na lahat ng mga babae ay naghahanap buhay. So I was encouraging the women to do the same para well-provided ang family. And so, sabi ko in a way senator Villar appreciated me because I’m helping also in providing for our family. So that’s a good ano, sabi ko mamahalin kayo ng asawa nyo. That’s a good lesson naman I think. I believe in that.

MB: Who is better in business?

CV: Ay siya

MB: Talaga?

CV: Wala namang ano doon, wala namang ano, wala namang…I’m more passionate about my social business. These are the small ones, small businesses that help people. Kasi I’m now in a stage of my life that I would want to be remembered for something, and that’s how I want to be remembered. Because I think I have the training for that. I’m a business graduate. We started our business as a small business. So nakita ko yung kahirapan ng small business. So alam ko without my help mahihirapan yung mga tao to build small businesses dapat may subsidy yan eh. Kasi siguro kami mapalad lang kami ni Manny because we were educated, very educated, so we were able to handle it to go from small business to a big business, to make the transition. Pero yung mga hindi naman masyadong nag-aral ng business, how do you expect them to do that without your help? Kaya ako tumutulong ako. I give them the technology, I give them the training, ang amin namang raw material ay basura so hindi nila bibilhin yun, so talagang labor na labor nalang ang input nila. And that’s a good model.

MB: How can you address the underground economy, the grey market? I mean is there a way to help them? Because I was aware that the BIR will also start—

CV: Ah no, I don’t believe in that.

MB: You don’t believe. How can you help this underground economy—

CV: Merong bill na you exempt the micro enterprises sa mga government regulations kasi kung ikaw eh micro, small, tapos pinuno mo ng government regulation yan, hindi na makaka grow yan…it’s hard to compete when you’re small. That’s the general code.

MB: Is there a legislation that you will amend and act with that in mind?

CV: Hindi, merong barangay enterprise—

MB: Diba it’s not so well-publicized?

CV: Eh yun nga. We have to promote. And we have to convince the LGUs and the government that you have to help the small ones grow at pag nag grow na sila that’s the time you exact those things diba. Pero kung maliliit palang sila at very fragile, eh ang dami dami mo ng regulations, hindi na yun tatagal. Ako I assure you as a business student they will outgrow any way.

MB: There’s also one thing I noticed about access eh, it is the applying, you know it takes more than a day. Is there a way—

CV: Yun na nga. Supposed to be. Merong ganon. Pero ang implementation is not—

MB: Yun nga e, I mean you as a business woman can do a lot of these

CV: Eh kasi hindi naman ikaw ang mag-iimplement, yung mga local. Eh hindi naman mga local, lahat ng local oriented towards that. Hindi nila alam na importante yun. May mga local na that they understand, may mga local na hindi.

MB: Ma’am yung sa nurse, after the nurse—

CV: I have talked with them. I have seen their—

MB: —

CV: No, it’s a question na very touchy kasi eh. Wala naman akong problema about interviews. Kaya lang yung pagkaframe nung question parang nashocked ka na eh kasi they were insinuating that I was at hold and that happened 7 years ago. I was trying to remember what happened.

MB: Somebody said that I think it was Teddy Boy Locsin—

CV: 7 years ago, it was an incident 7 years ago na nalimutan ko na. I was trying to remember what happened and they did not come spontaneously that’s why I cannot even find a word to describe yung ganung health worker na hindi naman sila BSN graduate pero pwede sila magtrabaho sa health facilities. And up to now they cannot give it to me. What’s the word for that.

MB: Undergraduate—

CV: Pag sinabi mo namang undergraduate inapi mo naman yung undergraduate.

MB: Let them define it

CV: Yeah. Idefine na nila, kasi I was asking them how do you define…I talked with them eh, how can you describe it? Sabi ko ano ba tatawagin din ba natin silang ano, ano tawag dito, yung caregiver, maiinsulto naman yung caregiver. Pag sinabi mo namang mga nurse, maiinsulto naman yung mga nurse. Ayoko ng magsalita, basta give a certificate to do work in a health facility. Oh yun nalang.

Carlo: Certified health worker nalang

MB: Ma’am what’s your stand on divorce bill?

CV: I’m not in favor of that. Meron naman tayo nung family code, we do annulment. Let’s make annulment and support of children affordable. Kasi ngayon if you want to get support for your children you have to go to court. Wag ng ganon. Suportahan nalnag, diba?

MB: The problem is annulment is very expensive.

CV: Yun nga. Sabi nila ngayon dapat yung Public Attorney’s Office can do annulment for people

MB: The problem with annulment is you will have to say that you never loved each other—

CV: Eh repeal natin yung law kasi may mga…yung grounds. Kasi kaya mo sinasabi yun it is the probation of the law that these are the grounds for annulment. Pero nakita ko doon na if you are separated for period of time you can file for annulment. Nakalagay doon eh.

MB: 200 thousand

CV: Hindi na nga, tatanggalin na nga yun. Mag-aamend kami nun. Public Attorney’s Office na nga lang ang gagawa. Make it affordable.

MB: Affordable and, but because some are saying that they don’t wanna say they never loved their husband—

CV: Edi baguhin yung grounds for annulment. Hindi man totoong they never loved, they lost the love.

MB: No because it is invalid from the start, that’s annulment

CV: Ah ganon ba yon

MB: Oo, so divorce is something could happen along the way

CV: Parang nakita ko doon, if you’re separated in a number of years you can file

MB: 5 years ata—

Divorce bill is 5 years—

CV: Annulment. Parang you can file for legal separation ba iyon, hindi annulment. Legal separation, diba? Wala namang ano eh, diba.

MB: But people want to marry again—

CV: Eh mag-aaway nanaman ang church and state nyan. After the RH, another one.

MB: Ma’am has Mark voted—

CV:  I think he voted. I’m not sure.

MB: Parang Pro RH siya

CV: Ang mga bata Pro RH. Nag-aaway na nga ang mga pamilya tungkol dyan.

MB: But is it really difficult to separate your religion from your legislation?

CV: Hindi naman. Kaya lang there’s ano din the ano eh, the…ako ha, I truly believe that population is not a liability. It’s how you manage your population. It’s from Mahatir, Prime Minister Mahatir told me 2009 that his only regret is that he didn’t have a big population that’s why they’re so dependent on export and they’re so dependent on abroad, na kung may population silang malaki, nung nagrecession dun sa abroad automatic recession sila. If they have a big population and have domestic market they’re not dependent on anything that happen abroad. So hindi…minsan kasi tayo population natin hindi, dapat ayusin natin yung pag manage ng population natin.

But the many provision of RH are in the magna carta for women—

MB: But it just make it nationwide

CV: Magna Carta for women is nationwide.

MB: In 2016 may panglaban po ba ang NP?

CV: Ay hindi ho. Hindi pa namin pinag-uusapan yan, we’re only talking 2013 and we’re trying to survive 2013 because it’s a long way. Oh my God you don’t think about it. Ay sila but not us. Kaming 3 nasyonalista we’re trying to survive this. We’re not planning the ano—

MB: —

CV: Tomorrow I’ll go in Gen San and Davao

MB: Kasama po si Pnoy?

CV: Yeah in GenSan and ano, I think Davao lang.

MB: Sumasama po ba si Pnoy sa campaign nyo

CV: Pumipili sya. Maano din, masipag sya sa campaign, pinipili nya, but marami ding pinupuntahan. I’m surprised din ha. He’s really trying to help us. Okay naman sya, very supportive.

MB: I have here a pledge of commitment ‘cause usually when there’s a campaign, this is what you promised, you promised. Netizens thought of having a commitment, a pledge of commitment, most of it we asked from you already. Maybe you could review it and send me later on, not now.

Carlo: Pasa nyo nalang sa akin pag nagustuhan nyo

MB: Ah yes, but basically the questions are, like:

(1)   Is about the cyber crime act of 2012

(2)   Sponsor a bill for the review of the data privacy act

(3)   The Magna carta for the Filipino Freedom

(4)   Sponsor a bill for faster affordable internet access

Carlo: In a way lobbying narin yan, ang galing

MB:

(5)   Sponsor a bill for the immediate passing of the FOI

(6)   Sponsor or co-sponsored on the automated election system; and

(7)   You know, a bill for public consultation online and offline, especially like us, engage with us.

(8)   (8) Published your SLN, are you willing to publish your SALN?

CV: Open naman po yun eh

MB: And sign a waiver of confidentiality of bank accounts in the Philippines. And

(9)   Actively use of social media to connect with reply report directly to the citizens. And

(10)Abide the all election laws. So this is just very minimum. So if ever you’ll sign it you’ll be the first—

CV: To sign

MB: Yeah

CV: Natakot na

MB: Medyo commitment and we will follow up

CV: I’ll just ask my lawyer. Baka naman mademanda ako dito

Carlo: Irereview muna ni ma’am

CV: Mahirap nga ang promises talaga kasi some promises you cannot control. Like for example if I promise legislation, how can I say that I can do it, diba. It’s a legislative body

MB: Minimum naman nito is sponsor or co-sponsor. We didn’y say that you should pass it. You know things like that.

CV: Support lang

MB: Yeah support.

CV: Yun ang difference. Kasi there are things that is beyond also your control. You can just try. Like OFW, creation of department of OFW, I cannot promise that, I will just try.

MB: But you can also give us a timeline of what has been done and what are the challenges facing it.

CV: Ako ang mapopromise ko sa inyo yung livelihood

MB: Kaya mo kasi yun

CV: Yeah. Oo

MB: You have done it.

CV: Hindi naman lahat eh pwede. Kasi minsan matagal ang PDAP. Siguro it’s a combination. It’s a combination kung andyan sya o wala sya then you proceed, kasi kung hihintayin mo sya matatagalan ka. So depende kung tumama, yung humihingi tama sya dun sa PDAP, syempre. Kung yung humihingi, wala sa PDAP, kasi PDAP comes in minsan every half year, every half year tapos sweldo pa 3 a year, di mo mapopromise kasi subject to availability yan. So kung mawalan na ng gana yung gagawin mo you’re forced to financing yourself kasi kesa naman mawalan ng gana yung partner mo sabihing your all promises wala ka namang ginagawa. So it’s a combination. So depende.

MB: There’s a follow up on the divorce bill. What is it in it that – to you?

CV: Siguro mas conservative tayo and natatakot tayo na if there’s a divorce bill mag-aaway lang nang mag-aaway ng konti nagdivorce na. Parang yung ganon. Parang hindi tingangkang to work it out yung mga problema. Minsan yan yung mga nagiging problema. It’s so easy that they do it as if they’re changing clothes, and it’s bad for the children, it’s bad for the family.

MB: Basta hopefully ho ano na kayo, your social media presence is going to be there permanently

CV: Ah yeah. I may not be good but I’m very responsible.

MB: But permanent po? Kasi yun po ang important sa amin

CV: Ah no no. That I can’t promise you. Basta may kilala ako, at nag note sa akin, sinasagot ko lahat yan. I’m very good, masyado nga akong conscious sa ganyan.

 

 

 

 

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