Press Release
April 14, 2016

POE: KILL HUNGER, NOT THE POOR AND HUNGRY

Independent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe took her campaign against poverty to one of the poorest areas in Manila Thursday night, vowing to eliminate the root cause of criminality and corruption.

Speaking before thousands of supporters in Baseco, Tondo, Poe reiterated her commitment to fight hunger and contractualization, saying she will provide more than a million jobs every year if she becomes president.

"Mga mahal ko na taga-Baseco, ilang taon, ilang dekada na rin kayong naghahanap ng tunay na pagbabago--pagbabago na magbibigay sa inyo ng mas maayos na buhay para sa inyong pamilya," Poe told the cheering crowd.

"Alam ko, gusto ninyong maging ligtas ang inyong pamilya. Pero mga kababayan, ang pinakaproblema natin ay kahirapan, hindi ba? Ang kahirapan ang puno't dulo ng problema kaya kumakapit tayo sa patalim, hindi ba? Mga kababayan, hindi po ang mahirap ang dapat ating patayin kundi ang kahirapan. Hindi po ang mga gutom ang kailangan nating barilin, kung hindi ang kagutuman" she said.

She recalled the case of the protesters in Kidapawan in North Cotabato on April 1, where three protesters died as they clashed with police in an attempt to claim rice subsidy and other agricultural support from the provincial government.

Poe said this would never have happened if the government were sensitive to the needs of the people.

"Kaya nga po, nakita ninyo, hindi kayo nag-iisa. Hindi po karahasan ang solusyon, ang solusyon po ay katarungan," she said. "Lahat tayo, ang problema ay kahirapan. Kaya kailangan 'yung mga programang diretso sa tiyan ninyo, diretso sa bulsa ninyo ang tututukan ng susunod na pangulo, at 'yan ay ipinapangako ko sa inyo."

Running under the banner of "Gobyernong may Puso," Poe said she would put an end to "endo," a colloquial term that means "end of contract" and signals the end of a person's work tenure. This refers to the problem of rampant contractualization in the labor sector.

"'Pag ako'y naging pangulo, higit isang milyong trabaho ang malilikha taon-taon. Titigilan na natin ang 'endo' kung saan gigising kayong hindi kayo sigurado kung meron pa kayong trabahong dadatnan o wala, na 'pag kayo ay lumagpas ng isang edad, hindi na ninyo alam kung kayo ay kukunin pa o hindi. Bawal na ang diskriminasyon sa trabaho," the senator said.

Poe, the first foundling to run for president, vowed to return to Tondo if she wins in the May 9 elections, saying this was the true pulse of the nation as it hosts poor Filipinos from all over the country.

Former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who has endorsed Poe's candidacy, attended the Baseco campaign rally. The mayor reiterated his support for Poe, the adopted daughter of his best friend, movie icon Fernando Poe Jr.

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