Perlas: Development must begin in the countryside

CEBU, Philippines - With three basic reasons, presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas chose to formally launch his candidacy in Cebu yesterday afternoon at the Cathedral Museum.

Perlas believes that for a nation to become progressive, leaders should focus more on the countryside. Cebu, being the center of the Philippines geographically, is a symbolic place for Perlas in the fulfillment of his political plans.

“If we truly want real progress in the country, we have to focus on the countryside... the countryside for Manila people is invisible...we have the presence of an imperial Manila... the light should start at the center,” Perlas said.

The second reason is the historical battle and victory of Lapu-Lapu against Magellan which, for Perlas, is the continuing resistance against the traditional politics that we must fight.

“Like Lapu-Lapu, we will resist the traditional politics,” he said.

Lastly, Perlas said he considers Cebuanos as having good morals. Morality, he said, is something most people no longer have in this present time.

Before launching his candidacy, Perlas attended a forum on environmental issues with the students and faculty of the University of San Jose-Recoletos with the theme: “Change the Future of the Philippines in the Context of the Government.”

Aside from presenting his platforms, he also discussed several issues on environmental problems, especially on global warming.

He gave emphasis on the melting of the polar ice caps that release carbon dioxide that adds to the increasing temperature of the earth.

In a study that he cited, out of the 32 billion tons of CO2 released worldwide per year, the Philippines only contributed .03 percent of it, yet ironically, we are considered to be one of the “hot spots” or the area that will be easily be affected by climate changes and the raising of the sea level due to our geographical location.

It is also anticipated that extreme weather events are coming to our country as an effect of the global warming.

Perlas said that three years ago, he predicted a scenario similar to the Typhoon Ondoy that hit Manila last September but no one in the government he approached listened.

“Preparation to environmental disaster is the immediate thing that we could do now because what had happened in Manila may possibly happen to the entire country if we continue to abuse our environment,” he explained. —Antoniette Parce/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)