Cayetano launches #PiTiK campaign with market vendors

Senate minority leader Alan Cayetano kicked off his senatorial campaign with a meeting with the market vendors of Pritil Market, Tondo, Manila.

"This campaign is not about me, it is about the people we are fighting for." he said.

The senator highlighted his main platform of PiTiK - Presyo, Trabaho, Kita - as he listened to the market vendors discuss their daily economic problems in what he calls "Palengke, Tinda, Konsultasyon".

He said that with his PiTiK platform, he proposes to lower prices, create more jobs, and increase wages to improve the livelihoods of those who are struggling.

"These are the primary needs of the people that need to be addressed. These are the issues that are at the root of our country's social, economic and political woes," he said.

The minority leader explained that he chose to launch his campaign in the market place because he wanted to give the rest of the country the true picture of what he is fighting for: the people who truly need PiTiK in their lives.

He said that his discussion revealed to him the primary concerns of this sector: (1) consumers cannot afford the prices of market goods; (2) no matter how high the economic progress is said to be by the government, these people still remain jobless; and (3) people have no choice but to borrow money and eventually become buried in debt because they don't have enough to make ends meet.

"We wanted to go to the grassroots where people can tell us whether they feel the government's much-touted progress or not," he said.

The lawmaker pointed out that this advocacy is the next step in his good governance advocacy.

"This administration has brought down corruption in the path of tuwid na daan. Now, we have to address the needs of the people. They should feel the progress brought about by the drop in graft and corruption," he said.

However, Cayetano pointed out that the primary difference of PiTiK is that it truly embodies the needs and concerns of all Filipinos, no sector or group is left behind or ignored.

"While it is true that I am launching my campaign here in the market place, my vision and my goals are not limited to this sector alone. PiTiK addresses the need of every Filipino in the country - from CEOs down to the people in the slums," he said.

He said that he plans to take his consultation campaign to rural markets as well as to other sectors like manufacturing.

The senator explained that he chose Pritil Market specifically because of its connection to Andres Bonifacio who sold fans as a young boy in the same area during the Spanish era.