TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA

On the proposed 2014 DTI Budget

Serge: The budget of the DTI is really too small, it's only P3.9 billion, nobody's going to question that. Pero may bagong item diyan for P548 million to promote anti-poverty programs in every town. Kinwestiyon ko po ito sapagka't hindi ko po naiintindihan kung paano isasagawa iyan if you're just going to give P1 million o P2 million to every municipality. Kung ganun ang gusto nila, eh ibigay na lang natin sa Department of Interior and Local Government. So we have to refine that concept.

I am encouraged na meron po silang OTOP, 'yung One Town, One Project. And it's going to be expanded to a clustering, so magiging several towns, one project. Or several towns, two projects. Maganda ho iyan. Matagal ko na pong itinutulak iyang concept of clustering, which has been an immensely successful concept in many countries, particularly in Japan po.

Aside from that po, magkakaroon po kami ng second hearing. Marami pang suggestions si Sen. BAM Aquino para ma-improve ang pagsuporta natin sa Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) dito po sa ating bansa.