Transcript of interview with Sen. Ralph Recto

Q: Sir, why did you and Sen. Joker decide to go to this school ( Vicente Rama National High School, Basak, Cebu City ) and paint a schoolbuilding?

Recto: We stand for HEARTS health, education/employment, agriculture, roads, technology, security/shelter. So we chose to visit this school para i-highlight natin ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon.

Pagkatapos nito, pupunta ako on the other side of the province Balamban. Meron akong naipasang batas, iyung Overseas Shipping Development Act and the Domestic Shipping Law na doon makikita mo naman ang employment that this law has been able to generate, na nakapagbigay ng mahigit sa 9,000 trabaho. At ngayon ang Cebu is one of the world-class manufacturer of ships. The best welders are actually here in Cebu . And this has generated billions and billions of pesos for the local economy and hundreds of millions of dollars for the Philippine economy. Were exporting this already, were producing this and we should be good at this because were an archipelago. Weve 7,100 islands so mahalaga iyung were able to build our own infrastructure particularly ships. Its more expensive to connect different islands by roads (than build ships). So malaki ang nagawa ng ating batas tungkol diyan at bibisitahin ko naman ang shipyard sa Balamban after this.

Q: Reaction nyo sa pagtakbo ni Cesar Montano?

Recto: Well, I welcome him in the slate. We should not discriminate on anyone whether you are an artista, a lawyer or a doctor. I think the Senate is better off with people from all walks of life. If the Senate will be represented by different sectors of society, thats even better.