Councilorables share common views on helping poor residents
Three aspirants for City Councilor all agreed that there is a need to legislate laws and ordinances which centers on giving livelihood programs to the poor and needy residents of Iloilo City.
Administration candidate Lyndon Acap and Genuine Opposition councilorables Johnny Young and Jose Marte Nava shared common sentiments on the upliftment of lives of the Ilonggos by giving them livelihood and not by giving them financial aids in form of dole-outs.
Interestingly, the three differ in their views on traffic and other problems of the city but not in the giving of livelihood programs.
In yesterday's Be Our Guest candidates forum of the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps and Sky Cable, Acap said one of his agenda is to form a cooperative for the city residents. They should be formed into a legitimate group for them to avail of loans from the government. The city has already prepared P1 million for the multi-purpose cooperative but the release was stalled because of the election banning.
Acap said they have already started to form a multi-purpose cooperative in the district of Arevalo. He said giving work and different means of livelihood to the people will ease the poverty problem. Everything will just follow if the heads of the family have the capacity to feed and send their children to school. They do not have to borrow money from the "bombay" with a high interest.
Enough livelihood means to the residents will likewise eliminate the problems on street children. A number of street children have to beg for money and food in different streets just to eat a meal and help their other siblings.
While, Young said one of the agenda of the opposition group is giving livelihood program to the people. The same reason they have formed an acronym of HELPS as their battlecry in this midterm elections. HELPS stands for Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Order and Sports.
On his part, Nava said he will bat for the putting up of "entrepreneur fund" purposely for the small and medium industries. He said funds should be allocated for small industries such as sari-sari stores. They can at least have P200 a day or P6,000 a month.