00:00You are still tuned in to TANONG NANG BAYAN, the GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025.
00:07Let's continue with our Town Hall Round.
00:14Climate change has something to do with the questions posed by
00:18Attorney Jimmy Bondoc, Representative Franz Castro, and Congressman Eric Martinez.
00:25Last year, we experienced another strong typhoon.
00:30And sometimes, even just a little rain can affect the lives of many people.
00:37Today, we are joined by the Executive Director of the UP Resilience Institute,
00:43Professor Mahar Lagmay, for TANONG.
00:46The Philippines is number one in the World Risk Index.
00:54Japan is number 24.
00:57Even though their hazards, like typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions,
01:03are the same as the Philippines.
01:05We are not short of budget for disaster risk reduction.
01:10We are spending billions.
01:15What can we do to meet the needs of the budget so that the Filipinos won't have a hard time?
01:22I am very proud that I became the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility of PAG-CORP.
01:27Our flagship project back then was to build multi-purpose evacuation centers.
01:31And until now, I know that a lot of things can be helped.
01:34Infrastructure, aside from a lot of things, like repealing corruption,
01:38we really need infrastructure for the long term so that our countrymen will have a better life.
01:45But how can we have a good infrastructure if there is corruption?
01:49Corruption needs to be solved.
01:51I believe that if the funding for flood control is right,
01:57we asked the right question.
01:59More than a trillion are spending.
02:04So, flood control needs to be spent properly.
02:09We don't have a biased opinion.
02:12For me, corruption will kill us.
02:15According to RA 10-121, local governments should be strengthened.
02:23That's why I made a policy that money is given directly to local governments so that they can build.
02:29And we saw that they were willing to build because they trusted the procurement and everything from them.
02:36And that is the most effective way to have a strong infrastructure.
02:40Now, Congresswoman Castro will answer Professor Lagmay's question.
02:46Every year, we experience a strong typhoon in our country.
02:51And it affects the poor.
02:54So, the first solution is to give compensation to the poor.
02:59The second is to stop the illegal projects such as mining, logging, and even this reclamation.
03:11And of course, make sure that the big funds are used by the people and not by the corrupt.
03:18It's clear that global warming is real.
03:21What was normal before is now different.
03:26So, we really have to look into technology of how we're going to go about these things.
03:32Manila has reached its saturation point.
03:36Well, I believe that global warming has an effect.
03:39But here in our country, we experienced places that were not flooded.
03:46But we experienced floods.
03:49That's why the Marcos Administration, together with the Duterte Administration,
03:57because of the size of the funds, they are not using these funds for flood control and disaster management.
04:06Urbanization, Manila has reached its point of saturation.
04:11We have to look beyond Metro Manila.
04:14Look towards Bulacan, towards Bataan, towards Pampanga, towards Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal.
04:21No amount of flood control program you put in in Metro Manila,
04:26if we're not going to expand urbanization towards our neighboring provinces,
04:31that could be a good solution to the problem.
04:34I believe in what the congressman said, that Manila really needs to be desaturated.
04:39But we need to give it a balance of how we're really going to do this.
04:43And as a country, we should agree if we really need to change the system of governance in the Constitution.
04:50That's the way to go.
04:52We have to decentralize Metro Manila for us to have a chance against this global warming thing.
04:57And as much as we try to solve the problem of floods,
05:02we need to look at the technology, the new technology that Japan and other countries have,
05:07that has become resilient to disasters.
05:10Thank you very much, Atty. Bondoc, Rep. Castro, and Rep. Martinez.
05:16Likewise, to Prof. Lagmay.
05:20The next issue we're going to talk about is about the West Philippine Sea.
05:25We have with us Cal Yodi de Guzman and Retired Col. Ariel Quirubin.
05:31From the violent attacks on our soldiers and coast guards,
05:36to the fishing boats,
05:39China Coast Guard's harassment in the West Philippine Sea still continues.
05:46As part of the experience of the China Coast Guard,
05:50we have with us in the studio today, Mr. Leonardo Quaresma.
05:55Mr. Quaresma, you can ask our senatorial candidates.
06:01At present, China does not recognize the United Nations Convention of the Law.
06:09Should we give up this law to have peace in the West Philippine Sea?
06:17We should really claim our territory here in the West Philippine Sea,
06:23against China's aggression.
06:26But we should be careful because of the influence of America,
06:34the intervention of America in this issue.
06:36Because what might happen, instead of promoting our interests,
06:40America's interests will be harmed and we will be used as pawns in its war against China.
06:47I agree with what Mr. Yodi said,
06:50that the West Philippine Sea is ours and we should fight for it
06:54because it is our right to explore, exploit, and harness the resources of the West Philippine Sea.
07:03There are many problems in the West Philippine Sea.
07:06It should be studied well.
07:09Because as long as America is there,
07:12there are countries like China,
07:15who are stealing their territories and plundering,
07:20we need to be careful and protect our interests.
07:24Do not use it against China and do not use it against America.
07:28Because if we use it against them,
07:31we will be trapped and we might be eaten by Ukraine.
07:35As you know, we are stealing from Zambales and Palawan.
07:39And we saw the potential of the West Philippine Sea.
07:45In Malaysia, they sell gasoline for 20 pesos a liter
07:49because they have 1 million barrels a day in their exclusive economic zone.
07:55Here, we sell gasoline at 58 average of 60
08:00because we only get 6,000 barrels a day.
08:04That's why we should fight for it.
08:06I just want to add to the question earlier about the fishermen.
08:10I agree that the law and the support of our fishermen should be reinforced
08:16because they are the problem.
08:19The poverty threshold is 40%.
08:24I also agree with what Mr. Llodi said
08:27because we saw the welfare of our fishermen.
08:32They are affected by what happened in the West Philippine Sea.
08:36That's what they say, not only in Masinlok but also in Palawan.
08:40That's why we should fight for the West Philippine Sea because it is ours.
08:45We should not let it go and we should fight for it together.
08:50Thank you very much, Mr. Llodi de Guzman and retired Col. Ariel Quirubit.
08:56We have a quick question again.
08:59The answer is either higher or lower.
09:01Higher if you think it should be higher
09:04and lower if you think it should be lower
09:07compared to the current number.
09:12First, salary of congressmen and senators.
09:30Age of criminal liability in the current 15 years old.
09:35Higher or lower?
09:59The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025
10:04The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025
10:09The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025
10:16What will you do to make social media safer for everyone, especially young people like me?
10:23Truth or lie only.
10:25There is no need to explain.
10:27Use Wang Wang or police escort.
10:30Truth or lie?
10:32Please raise your answer.
10:46The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025
10:52Issues online will be answered by Atty. Ernesto Arellano
10:58and former congressman or party list representative, Eddie Casino.
11:02In the survey of Pulse Asia in 2022,
11:0610 Filipinos believe that the spread of fake news and disinformation online is a problem.
11:16Online crimes like scamming are added to this.
11:20We have here in the studio,
11:23the teen actress, social media personality, and sparkle artist
11:28who has also been a victim of online scamming,
11:32Sofia Pablo.
11:34Sofia, what is your question to our candidates?
11:38Good evening to all of you.
11:40I was also a victim of a scam,
11:43I was bashed online,
11:45and of course, I was also a victim of fake news.
11:47And I'm sure many others have experienced this.
11:50My question to you is,
11:52what will you do to make social media safer for everyone,
11:57especially for young people like me?
12:01Regulate the use of cell phones and computers for young people.
12:13This is the reason why it is easy to dislocate the decision of young people and the public.
12:26This is a problem that cannot be solved by simple regulation.
12:31Because most people now have cell phones,
12:34and the internet is impossible to regulate.
12:37Education is really important.
12:40We need to teach our people about the dangers of online scams.
12:44Ted's answer is also right.
12:47But we still need a wider control
12:52on the use of these facilities.
12:55And there should be a penalty
12:58for misuse.
13:00Higher penalty for misuse of these instruments.
13:05On the issue of online scams,
13:06I think there should be a law
13:09to limit the spread of troll farms
13:14and scam operations.
13:16A big part of this is the law enforcement of our law enforcing agencies.
13:22But that is just the tip of the iceberg.
13:24The bigger problem for me is the fake news and disinformation.
13:28And the biggest problem is that the President and the Vice President
13:32are spreading fake news.
13:34So that is one problem that we need to face.
13:37I support the issuance of rules and regulations
13:48that have a penalty provision
13:51to give effective control.
13:54I just want to add,
13:56the biggest enemy of fake news is the truth.
14:01The biggest enemy of disinformation is the correct information.
14:05That is why we need to pass the Freedom of Information Act
14:10so that our people can have easy access to the correct information.
14:15We also need to protect and support the real media,
14:19the real journalists
14:21that are not just a simple report,
14:23but are vetted and the truth is what they report.
14:27Thank you Representative Casino,
14:30Attorney Arellano,
14:32and Sofia Pablo.
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