BONGBONG MARCOS: LOCAL GOVERNMENT HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART

Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. today vowed to continue to be the voice of local government saying his heart will always belong to local and barangay leaders from whose ranks he started his political career.

In his meeting with local leaders in Daangbantayan in Cebu, Marcos said no matter what position he holds in government, local government always holds a special place in his heart.

"Ang puso ko, ang tingin ko sa sarili ko laking local government kaya kahit saan man ako mapunta asahan ninyo na meron kayong boses sa local government," he told the large crowd who came to welcome him.

Marcos credited this to his start in public service as a vice governor of Ilocos Norte and then serving for three terms as the province governor from 1998 to 2007. This is the reason why, he said, when he became a senator in 2010, he specifically sought to be the chairman of the committee on local government so he can institute laws for the increase in local officials' participation in national governance and push for their welfare.

Among those he authored were the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law and the extension of the term of barangay officials to 5 years as well as the giving of retirement benefits to barangay officials and volunteer workers.

"Palagi kong sinisigaw na dapat bigyan ng mas malaking boses ang local government, ang ating mga barangay kasi sila ang mas nakakaalam ng sitwasyon at saloobin ng ating mga kababayan at iyan ang mas lalo ko pang paiigtingin sa mga susunod na panahon," he said.

He also noted the greater need for partnerships between the national government and local government but also with the private sector which he said is also crucial to the effective delivery of basic services to the people.

"Sa local government nag-uumpisa ang tunay na kaunlaran kung kaya dapat makinig tayo sa local leaders natin at paigtingin pa ang partnership sa national government kasama na dapat diyan ang private sector dahil kung hindi magsasama-sama at magtutulungan ang lahat, hindi tayo makakapagbigay ng magandang programa na mararamdaman ng mga tao," Marcos said.