transcript of blog watch interview with ramon magsaysay jr

7/30/2019 Transcript of Blog Watch interview with Ramon Magsaysay Jr

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Mom Blogger (MB): Looking at your platforms in 2013, it says here that your platforms are

anchored at job opportunities, business, security and the acronym is JOBS, so if you could

tweet that what can you say in 140 characters just say it in summary and take your time.

MB: Okay Jun Magsaysay tweeted Those who have less in life should have more in law.

Interesting! Can you expand on that more?

Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (RMJ):Those who have less life should have more in law. So the

acronym of my platform is JOBS when the first time I run in 2001 for senate, jobs deals about

justice, talking about justice is social justice pantay-pantay. The advantage is they should be

or they need to improve their lives so that social justice will be there, I also want to give them

opportunity and afford education quality education for them to find more economic contribution

to our country, we need to have good policy for our government to make business in the

Philippines simpler, easier and more convenient for local and foreign investors so more

business are coming, more employers are in..

MB: You did your own survey?

RMJ: yeah we did our own survey for messaging.

MB: I have the feedback on the advertising..

RMJ: with the group discussion with some company from several random individual to reinforce

two or three kinds of story boards so this one came as most desirable to identifiance its the

awareness issue, of the awareness theyll know that Im a former senator son of the late

president and what has he done so our aD ang totoong Magsaysay that is the basis of internet

transactions, Im a commerce law in 2001 and I was a former AFP and in the National Defense Icreated a bill to increase the salary of the armed forces and that was in 2002, and also the

fertilizer fund scam when I was the committee and the chairman of the Agriculture. So there was

so many things in the past that can overwhelm them so when I do when I speak in front of rallies

I said I just want to work on today status quo.

MB: So what did you add with regards to the credo offormer president Magsaysay those who

have less in life should have more in law. What can you add to your fathers advocacy well

there must be something new there.

RMJ: The technology to the business so the team PNoy the indentification code is like

agrikultura agri-business and teknolohiya because Im a mechanical Engineer and Ive been

working in the industry I was the one in few who started the signal cable in 1971 so I am 33

when I started to have my own cable TV system with some technical partners some good

Filipino Engineers .

MB:So youre already Techie then?

RMJ: Was it call it techie in now? Because I can go into the facebook and browse feedboards I

like feedboards I can read magazine and different articles about leadership and ofcourse being


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an engineer I enjoy things in innovative society we feel that the Filipinos will stick with the old

norms. The society is not that prosper we need more to extend in the other country its called

science and technology, engineering and math so my last year in the senate in 2009 I put out a

resolution to have a committee and a commission and this is the basis of the more Philippine

science schools more scholarship in the young students who are oriented to work sa system

state university usually give this in the agriculture which is a science because you have to learnabout the soil, about the sun you have to learn about nature, about water and thats so exciting

that after my term I went into the dairy farming with some friends, I wanted to prove that

corporate farming can earn money and same time pay the minimum wage law cover them some

SSS and give them some time for basic safety net and after 4 or 5 years it seems to be working

were breaking even now we have six employees in the farm this is the from the farm, to the

processing, to the distribution, we have more or less 60 families get involve.

MB: Sad that the DepEd science does not come in the classrooms are great. What you think of

that?

RMJ:were trying to make big efforts to develop so we have the, when I was in the senate I wasthe chairman on the Science and technology we just more on regional science highschools so

and other local government have adopted science highschool base in the standards of the

regional the one in the Diliman I dont know how the teachers are talking but it seems that its

working well because Philippine Science Highschool in Muntinlupa seems to be getting the

good grade school students and getting the top 10%in putting them in their own Municipal

Science highschool in Muntinlupa. La Salle which I am a trustee DLSU- Philippines 17 schools

all over the place we set aside the scholarship and possible for science oriented young people

the DLSU- Calamba is a one of those campuses of La Salle assigned to become a science

center and they have been getting 10% top from public schools all over the place in Laguna,

Batangas, Rizal to become scholars for highschool and college they getting the thing on the top

of the grade school giving them good values.

MB: as a mother, I know that curiosity start when theyre young, thats why we need tings

education o be brought back to the early stage, we need things that will lead to critical thinking

or looking at science I just hope of you can look.. knowing that youre into science .

RMJ: I agree that the first seven years of the child life, that is the most absorption of how the

parents or maybe thebrothers and sister will teach the basics, tell me why? I mean I see it in my

son and daughter

RMJ: these are so basic eh. Now sa public baka kulang ang teachers. They are so basic eh.

Techmology can come differ

MB: what is yourstand about divorce in divorce in the Philippines?

RMJ: uhh ... after marriage law I think we have to rest condition of divorce. What I would work

on would be to improve the family code on uhh...civil annulment. So now basically civil

annulment is like divorce. Civil annulment...uhh is so expensive. And it's. more like economical


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ano eh. To me it's just to simplify and uhh to have more reasons for uhh civil annulment other

than psychological incapacity. It seems that is all but actually after years of trying the couple

feels that there is more than psychological incapacity. There will be some violence on either

persons. On women, and even children. There are wife battery., child battering, and even

husband battery. It happens sometimes no. the husband maybe psychologically battered. Like

when a wife nags about having a better house. You know these are the things...sometimesemotions come in. So we have to lessen the cost and to give the reasonable policies. Lawyers

can be accessed and we are going to set aside funds to allocate. Let's say 50 million a year.

The usual private lawyer would be 30 thousand but before the family court, the judge will also

be looking a uhh....urgency not 1 year but 6 months or even. 3months. So there must be some

kind of simplicity and uhh ...and not a different thing then you would not have to think about it

anymore because it's just an instinct. Just go to Las Vegas and divorce in an American style but

the affinity, kawawa yung babae at young anak if she got married to a palikero and went with

another. That one is a possible ground for a ...an accountability. Because the fellow is

incapable.

MB: what are your plans for the senior citizens?

RMJ: for the senior citizens I think there should be more serious to be honest on social

economic development. As an example in the armed forces of the Philippines . You have retired

men at 56. When I was 56 I was on my senatorial term and at age 56 we have the officers to be

trained as leaders. Officers are leaders 'no? Whether they are general,colonel, major,

captain, or sergeants. These are leaders so they should be harnessed for yet the young

people. They are to guide them into their productive endeavors. So I want uhh...the seniors to

say, we have a...uhh 5 years of our own life thatvwe would like to give back for national

development, to train young people, to become good planters, good farmers or even good

uhh...public works laborers, to the forests. It's like national development. They'd be getting

their allowance or typical pay. Kasai ang mga sundalo, I think the sergeant who is retired gets

20 000 a month. So we should give him another 5 or 7 thousand edition he'd be very happy to

do this - to guide the children 'no. The youth. not children but youth. There's a uhh....as united

nations 35 Pedro sa Philippines 42 youthful pa.

MB: but this is only for soldiers?

RMJ: well, even uhh.. retired government employees can or private sector. Let's. Say chemical

engineer or civil engineer, and at uhh 56. Actually in private sector we don't really retire. Kame,

like me, when I was dairy farming, I was already 68 NA so I enjoy it. Hindi naman. Any

magagatas mismo. Any nag gagatas eh ano, you just guide farm boys and girls to help out and

they get paid. You just smile. It's the concept of management, of research. I didn't. Knowanything about it. I just drink a lot if milk because after the end of the 2nd World War, I was so

thin. We were so thin. My mother said you have to gain weight. So I had to Dink milk twice a

day. Bear brand. Mapayat ako nung araw eh. So in the US, in Europe, even uhh India, milk is

such a sacred thing. they don't kill cows there since as long as they give milk, they can protect

them because they are a sourcebof health and life. So dairy farming for me is a wonderful thing.

I am even propagating among friends, I will you with all the ups and downs. We made a lot of


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mistakes but now you're here and you want us to help you, just put yourself together and I can

help you. So....I can uhh...we are processing good milk, fresh milk, from one independent farm

in batangas.

MB: what are you going to do with seniors?

RMJ: seniors? Well, it's orientation. If uhh...I am looking at a program of uhh.. the first bush.

George bush. Uhh...bush is 41and he put together an advocacy : of senior executives. And this

is to allow retired executives even former officers of a ....or even bank executives or even former

engineers or accountants. Basta mga professionals. So they are able to put themselves

together and address a certain issue like replanting coconuts. It's. As basic as that.

To...uhh...when I was a chairman of oil group, this is on 2011. I found out that half of our

coconut trees are senile meaning they're. Over the maximum age of having fruits no. Uhh,

buko. The only thing is farmers have to replant but uhh...of course they are not earning enough.And what they do is cut down the old trees and sell them as lumber. But there must he Alba's

or policy or that you may cut down if it is senile. Uhh...because you see the coconut we call. As

the tree of life is most wonderful. Even coconut water. It's even competing Gatorade in the

states now. Because it's natural, it's. Very high in ph and it's clean. We have plants here. I

think in legaspi. And they're selling thebcoconut water to the states. So senior group gets a

...we're going to help people go into coconut farming and it'll help them earn money. It's

guidance no. Guidance through experience and history. I get excited when I go the states

'cause we had always been....we've always think of with Raul lapuz to put together with people.

With the help of Manuel Quezon Jr. We thought of putting up together la salle, ateneo, and

UP. young people no. To portray the young doctors and nurses to the rural areas and servekung saan wala masyadong doctor. And uhh we paid allowance and that was 50 years of age.

So we have an advocacy. We have another advocacy - UNICEF 's national youth committee

and UNICEF is part of the united nations no to make children healthier or educated. So what

did we do? Again, this is related under Raul lapuz and Manuel Quezon. We teamed up with

uhh...UNICEF we're giving out in bulacan and other nearby provinces. So children had feeding

program and we uhh...had some nutritionists to mix the milk. Paratable sugar but we noticed

that a lot Filipinos are milk intolerant. Ano...ano Inga tawag don? Lactosintolerant. Since we

are making children sick from milk, we called this off. But those were advocacies headed by

lapuz who was professional at his time. So we enjoy start ups. Ground people can be guided by

the old and the old can guide them. So it's towards a teaching country. Whether it's coconuts,

bananas, whether it's milk, whether it's carabao soil, it's all technology that needs to be.

MB: my next question is not related but a bit related to.... when...what can you say about people

who are concerned about your age?


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RMJ: concerned about my age?

MB: yeah on what they of you?

RMJ: kasi sasabihin "Ay, matanda NA yan"

MB: yeah, what can you say about that?

RMJ: I have breached my age. I've been around 74 years but I would just stop if I got sick and I

am not sick. I just got got an ankle sprain in bacolod as my foot got caught in a cable. But my

mind is good, my heart is strong, maybe my heart can easily weaken but people don't knowthat 47% of US senators are over 70 years old. I told that to Karen Davila last Friday. Sabi ko,

people in the US, they expect more with age as it comes with more wisdom and experience.

We know what had happened badly or good. Good times and bad times. And this is why we

will be able to guide the younger people who have so much energy into the right path so they

have less risks. Lesser of the risks no. so.. they say age - I am 74. Joker Arroyo is 82. I am just

a bit younger. Erap is 76 so I'm just a bit older.

RMJ: I would like the government to set aside fund but to be under private sectors meaning if

there are real farmers let's say Avocado industry, Avocado is a good export with high qualityproduct going to Hongkong, Shanghai, Japan, Taiwan he wants to develop the port of farmers

so he needs 50 hectares, So the government will say 'alright so we have a market, I will help

you, so that fund will address part of this capital goods. If he needs 10 million pesos the

government will say 'okay I believe in your research, I believe in your expertise, you have a

good management team, a good horticulturist, a good agronomist, a good farm management,

you need 10 million I'll put in 5 million' so it makes it easier for private agri-businessman as the

want whether to scale up and within 5 years the avocados are growing, with the right species,

with the right seeds so he becomes an exporter and he has a lot of businesses.

MB: Can I request you to make it louder?

RMJ: Lapit natin

MB: no, baka hindi makita ng face (laughs)

RMJ: So to me what I'm looking at is basically an overall so called, Sovereign Wealth Fund

(SWF) sovereign wealth fund is to be pattern after that of Singapore's Temasek, that is the

model of sovereign wealth fund which is now being undertaken by countries like China, India

and even Norway in other countries they call it the Funds for Creative Enterprise (FCE) This is


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to speed up the start ups whether its technology IT, whether it's food, whether it's

pharmaceutical, whether it's wellness or other business so the sovereign wealth fund is the

basis of a lot of initiatives also to improve environment and the social, medical, economic

concerns to address, so Temasek if you will research has been growing at least 17% a year that

is because it was being well handle by professionals these are the bankers, major capitalist,

professors, former government and private executives they put themselves together for countrybecause it is a tax payers money that's why it is called sovereign, sovereign wealth it is the tax

payers money you are setting aside the part of the tax payers money to fund more deserving,

educated, aggressive, ambitious, creative, innovative individuals and each would have the least

government interference government can be part of the fund board but they should be in

minority and this will lessen the essence of a bloated bureaucracy because in government now

if u look at the budget the budget for the national government is 2.067 trillion pesos 75% are

payroll, sweldo ng mga tao, 20% are MOOE meaning Maintenance and other operating

expenses, and the 5% is capital outlay these are for computers, desk, tables, chairs. So as

economy grows budget grows but it would be nice if the government incremental increase of

income will set aside 5% even 3% for sovereign wealth fund this will not be spend these fund

will fund the scholarship of scientists if you are a graduate of civil engineering mechatronics

engineering, you can take up your masteral and the scholarship can make a good engineer in

mastering robotics. So it is exciting that the government is fixated into bureaucracy to many

rules and regulations.

MB: Being a mechanical engineer do you think we should ammend the clean air act?

RMJ: The clean air act? The clean air act, well I was part of the senate that passed it. It was

Senator Robert Jaworski and it was put together by Raul Rocco so the clean air act basically

provides that we have to practice certain environmental concerns particular yung pollution. Wewant to use energy coming from not on coal but coming from renewable energy like hydro

power and the light even the solar power which is quite expensive, the wind power which is now

becoming the most effective like the one in northern Luzon. So right now the best way is to just

look at the law the implementing rules and regulations and try to trick it, because if we keep on

amending it might become even more difficult because there external factors like lobbyist and

other inputs that might weaken the law. with the law is good enough this was about 10 years

ago or so it should be the executive implementing arms like department of energy, local

government, NEDA would be able to work in the law to attain certain good standards but if there

are specifics to amend then of course we would amend.

MB: So when you say 15th because I have this impression that we need to try to change it in away no matter how small or how big the changes are.

RMJ: Yah no matter how small or how big, it might get better but it might get worse because

there were lobbyist with a certain interest that might we can need or the senate need so it's a

basically executive function to really make it what it intends to do in clean air act.

MB: What quality do you look for a public official?


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RM: Public official should be a public servant so he is not there to make himself wealthier or

more influential and powerful; he is there to basically serve while he is still in his term. A public

official should lead by example, like the president said 'walang wangwang and he tries to follow

it. I think public office is a public trust as mentioned by one late president and he ordered not

to comprise yourself and put all your relatives and friends, kamag-anak to become a dynasty

you're there just to help out, after you go maybe a son or a daughter comes in after awhile,that's alright'. While you were there try to set an example for generosity, public welfare helping

the whole society to improve itself and to just keep it moving the social structure, social and

economic of course.

MB: In fact I used to worked for you under your cousin

RMJ: sino?

MB: Tito Catindig, I under in some of your projects with DepEd that time

RMJ: Oh DepEd, First term maybe?

MB: Last term, anyway sir ano pong act dito sa plunder case ni Jocjoc Bolante, fertilizer scam.

RMJ: The case is now on Sandigan Bayan it's been there for almost a year and a half. So today

were expecting Sandigan Bayan to make its decision so it would be good if bloggers, social

networkers, media will put more emphasis because the tendency is to just wait it out because

its a complex case involes so many congressman and governors and of course DA. When

GMA embedded mr. Bolante into the DA their first man in office kasi he was the first acting

secretary of agriculture when she became president after EDSA 2 e so she was the one who

embedded so maybe she didn't know that he's that kind of guy but eventually he turned out to

be that kind of guy in the fertilizer scam so we expect that anytime now, if the sandigan bayan

does not decide soon it's a signal to the others to the other agency that crime doesn't pay.Nandoon pa yung mga calcitrans to cost it. So it's a signal that I can get away with it its been 9

years this was 2005 so almost 9 years.

MB: And where is he now?

RMJ: Mr. Bolante, I think is still in town wala namang arrest order sa kanya just a hold

departure.

MB: Wala naman pong hospital arrest? baka naka hospital arrest din siya?

RMJ: When he arrived here he was in stretcher but he was playing golf.

MB: Bilang estudyante pa po ako sa edukasyon po, marami po sa mga pampublikong paaralan

katulad po sa pinaggalingan kong highschool ang nagpapatupad po ng shifting

schedule,minsan po umaabot pa po ng alas-8 ng gabi ang mga klase tapos ang pasok naman

po alas-6 ng umaga kung mananalo po kayo ulit sa pagka senador ano po ang inyong

maimumungkahi para hindi na gabihin ang mga estudyante sa paaralan , Lalo po ngayon

delikado po ngayon sa gabi at maraming rape case na nangyayari dahil po sa ganito.


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RMJ: Totoo yan iha, we keep on decongesting classrooms pero sa rami ng populasyon natin sa

rami ng kabataan talagang over loaded so to me, we can give cash vouchers to those families

who want their children to go to the private school mayroon naman sa mga private school e

grade school, high school well college mag te-take over na mga public universities, state college

universities SCU's. pero one thing that we're looking at is the internet has a good way to

supplement classroom education the internet generation in the US in given in the stateCalifornia, nagkaroon ng planning sila actually it's been done for online education yung mga

basic education forces will supplement classroom so parang just to decongest classroom siguro

yung part of your courses can be develop online and you can access so instead of going to

school up to 8 pm, you are given two shifts siguro so let's say 7-2 and then 2-8 pero 1/3 of that

or two hours less, 6 hours a day, 1-2 hours online, pag pasok doon discussion

nalang.

MB: Karamihan naman po sa mga nasa public school wala po silang access sa internet

RMJ: It must be a national commitment, dahil some schools like St. Paul and La Salle, nag

connect na sila ng Wi-Fi in the school kasi in La salle Grenhills but of course mahal iyon but it'sa resources. So let's say you have a grades chool in Ormoc, Leyte in a small barangay a Wi-Fi

that will be used in the school will be delivered by a telecom company or a cable TV company it

will be funded syempre it's not free e pero ang cost niyan, ginagawa namin sa Ayala Foundation

iyong GILAS program we are funding them from the senate and they're connecting internet

access for 3rd year and 4th year high school students sa public schools. I think umabot ng

5,000 high schools junior and senior pero ngayon ang grade school kailangan na rin so the local

government the DepEd and barangay should share now what is the cost, nung ginagawa namin

iyan I think in first year we're paying 5,000 a month for so many megabitslet's say 5,000 mga 5

megabits na iyon. So you go to elementary school and high school that compound will have 5

megabits per second maganda na iyon, mabilis na iyon diba? actually we only have 56 kilobits

per second for just a basic internet but you can get up to 5 for the must be 5,000 pupils so

maybe 2,000 coming from DepEd, 1000 sa provincial government, 1,000 sa barangay, 1,000 sa

municipal, ceiling hindi mabubudget naman yan e but it's just management, political will and

logistics which is money so in your grade school compound mayroon kang Wi-Fi so magkano

ang basic tablet? siguro wala pang 5,000 pesos but it can be capitalize how much are the

books now? mahal na ang mga books a, but with the tablet you can access the books just like

what St. Paul and La Salle are doing and I think Ateneo is also planning sa Xavier so it's

like innovating ang DepEd at CHEd naman innovative naman yan e.

MB: Sir nabanggit niyo na po yung pag gamit ng internet sa education, what's your stand on

Philippine ICT education

RMJ: IT is already a...

MB: Sir ICT, information communication technology

RMJ: Are you talking about the department? kasi mayrong CICT under the office of...

MB: under sa DepEd po


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RMJ: I know CICT was under the office of the president nilipat sa DOST someone want to make

it a department ayaw naman nila kasi magiging bureaucracy nanaman ang nag o-over head.

MB: I think in relation to that, I think the problem is not many of our legislators know even what

is internet freedom so this in relation to the law that was passed the cyber crim that's why it's

unconstitutional I think the legislator need to know more about the ICT. Do you any plans for

that?

RMJ: To me internet is a human right it's a human right as education, health, the right to

happiness, that right to have fun to me internet is so pervasive it affects all aspects of the

society including the netizens so the internet is a human right it's as simple as that so we want

Wi-Fi for all barangay this is one of the thing we're pushing years ago but then it get grounded

because of the scandal of NBN ZTE and also the thinking that the telcoms can handle the

Backbones quite handily and most effectively dahil nadoon na sila nandyan na ang PLDT smart,

nandiyan na ang Globe, nandiyan na ang Sun, we have more than one back bone and and the

spine of the back bone can be other independent telephone companies or even cable TV

companies or other the municipality can be a backbone for the distribution as in the statesthere are towns that have their own Wi-Fi infrastructure that covers them but it don't based on

broadband signal nagbabayad sila. Ang tagal na nito a mga 2 hours na yata.

MB: Hindi pa 2 hours (laughs), no but we really need your statement in ICT because netizens

are looking for

RMJ: In what aspect?

MB: Because some will be voting base on your platform or advocacy on the ICT so if you could

spell out maybe do you have a legislative agenda within your mind.

RMJ: We have to give incentives to private parties and public so the most important is the

dissemination of the signal. (Asked for a break)

MB: Do you have any plans already or legislative agenda on that issue? (Pertaining to ICT)

RMJ: I would look at ICT as a human right. ICT is a Information Communications Technologies.

ICT, Information Communications Technologies, and the reference of this is our access to the

internet is important that we treat internet as a human right just like clean air, the right to

happiness, the right to have a peace and right, the right to clean environment, the right to

education. So internet is a good platform to enhance social creativeness in terms of tradition,

culture practices, the culture of the society. We must not be a bunch of tribes or families that will

have their own thinking and tradition but they must have a culture of Christian based loving

society with common directions including society and highly respected and trustworthy to the

rest of the world because we are good Filipinos, we are good citizens. So, going back to ICT

that can be a platform of a social movement and it must be, as much as possible, free or

subsidize or affordable. So the ICT main goal is to be able to allow access by marginalize part


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MB: The digital dividing also

RMJ: Yeah. The Bureau of Prisons even the Lumads, the Ignegs, the Mangyans of Mindoro, the

Cordilleras, that they have access to it. And youll be surprised how it can make our society a

more improve society. Looking at love of country, being patriotic Filipinos, and not just like

MB: Have you seen the bill filed by senator Merriam? It is the Magna carta for Philippine

Internet Freedom, have you seen a copy of that?

RMJ: No I didnt see that. But Id like to have a copy of this so we can study it.

MB: Yeah we will send it to you

RMJ: I will be very happy

MB: because that will be filed and that was proud source by netizens themselves. So, this is

one of the first bills that they have

RMJ: So how long it has been there

MB: It just filed I think December

And Senator Merriam really well crafted much much better than the cyber crime law.

RMJ: What is the essence of the measure

MB: Well it concerns rights, to governance, security, so its all encompassing not like the,

because the cyber crime law is, punishes

Does it really punish the cyber crime criminals?

RMJ: Well thegoing to the cyber crime law, which is under the TRO, indefinite

MB: Yeah thats a good thing. Thats a good sign actually.

RMJ: Basically we need a cyber crime law

MB:A real one

RMJ: a real one because there is a lot of concern and worries about security. Security of the

persons credit card, your own I.D., your own safety, and own privacy. The right to privacy just

also a right. So, what happen is the senate version and the house version were already quite

good, acceptable na sa netizens, no? And to everybody even media, traditional media. But then,in the bicameral committee something happened, the provision was inserted. That was the

whole thing. So it criminalizes libel

MB: So thats why the Magna Carta has 4 components, right?

RMJ: Yeah


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MB: Governance, development, and security, and I thinks its more comprehensive than the

existing cyber crime law.

RMJ: Well, Id like to see it and to me no law is better than a bad law because a law that is

crafted, lets say 100% desirable after the hearing the disagreement of netizens. But during the

debates, discussions, it changes, it metamorphosis into something more strict implementation

that some provisions will make it really hard for freedom-loving netizens. So it can work in a

way.

MB: So you would want to repeal the cybercrime law and instead look into the Magna Carta for

the Philippines Internet freedom

RMJ: I have to look at the whole cybercrime law because as I mentioned earlier the earlier

house and senatorial version is more acceptable but then by the bicam measure was put

together to compromise some provisions it may spoil the whole law. We can amend it.

MB:Anyway, you support the Magna Carta and pass it. It would automatically repeal the

What would be your program for diba sa ngayon our society is employee generating na, so

how do you

RMJ: Well, we have read a lot of notes in small medium enterprise. Now, the definition of small

is the business up to 50 million pesos, medium is 50 million up to 150 million. How do we

encourage start-ups like the small medium enterprise? The number one important thing is to

lessen the requirements because when youre going to business there so many red tapes and

permits that after 3 months di ka pa tapos. Ive done through that many times and I could say

we just have a bunch of bureaucrats who want to make life difficult for businessmen.One stop

shop Mayroon nangyari yan sa Silay city sa Negros Occidental. Si Mayor Montilla noon has a

one stop shop. Nandoon na yung DTI, nandoon na yung BIR, yung customs, yung internalrevenue, nandoon na lahat. And theyre suppose to approve each permit within 15 days. So that

has become a modernin Western Visayas I think they should look at that. So the thing is to

just simplify, make life easier for investors and start-ups, to taking risk to put up business, risk

capital yan eh. Number 2, we have a law that set aside I think 10 or 8% of the total loanable

portfolio, all the banking system, all the banks in the Philippines, local, foreign, rural banks, 10%

to lend the small medium enterprise. Mukhang hindi na masyadong nagaguide ng bangko

sentral dahil when borrowing for a car they say its part of thelaw. Ngayon, personal naman

yun eh, kotse. So yun lang naman. Now we need also, I mentioned earlier, yung SW fund,

sovereign wealth fund. It was an example. In China, I think from the last time I saw it a couple of

months ago, their sovereign wealth fund 600 million dollars. And Norway has also about the

same, 600 million euro. But Norway is considered now 100 top countriesinnovation in

technology. So that fund will help people by the, capitalist bankers, enterprisers, like Datu

Pangataw or Paco Sandejas or even for social economic initiatives. They put themselves

together even private college and universities. They put themselves in their region and then

they identify. Hindi naman yung mga bibigyan mo lamang, siguro yung tao nandun na sya mga

3 or 4 years. Tumaya na sya and bibigyan nya ng capital, ng SWF. He will buy in. He will not

lend. He will become a stockholder which means that tumaya rin siya. Like Im hoping that you


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will grow up, and this happen many times in China. Yung Huawei. Huawei is one of most

successful start-ups past 20 years.

MB: This brand?This one? Im using it

RMJ: Yeah yeah yan Huawei

MB: This is my modem na. This is my modem

RMJ: Huawei is the example of SWF. He was a thermal engineer, in the Chinas Army, people

army, Chinas people army. Yung Huawei. He started developing electronics engine ata eh.

After a while, he started growing and SWF funded him, and he became very competitive.

Tinatalo nya ang Cisco at tsaka Alcatel, yung mga Telcos, thats Huawei.

MB: Now, they are doing the cables for Globe.

RMJ: For Globe and Smart. Pero ang kalaban ng NGT, yang dalawa they are the top, but

Huawei is a good example of SWF.

MB: Im impressed with your techieness.

RMJ: If you looking at Globe, its partly owned by SingTel. SingTel was started up by Temasek,

to Singapore.

MB: Sir sa Labor Code naman, would you be introducing some changes especially yung

restrictive aspect nung regularization, para bang walang end ang road ang mga mangangalakal

in terms of adjusting to the global environment. Or would you agree that the current labor code

is too deafening in the sense that it protects too much the workers in the expense of the

investors?

RMJ: Well right now the law, the labor code, addresses some form of exploitation, injustice,

dealing with our labor force. Itong legislation na ito mukhang liberalized naman, no? But

sometimes the law is use to make it difficult for business people. So to me ang importante dyan

eh yung what do they provide in terms of probation, from the job training, probation, casuals,

and also safety net. If you look at the Europe, especially in countries, kwan yan, malaki ang

kanilang progress into having enlightened labor. Germany, even labours represented in the

court. So tayo naman parang confrontational. So you have to change the attitude of labor dahil

fastest growing economy, part of the economy is IT, BPO, information technology, business

process outsourcing. Yan eh, the seats almost more than 800 thousand, almost a million. 800

thousand seats, these are not only call centers, but also medical transcriptions, banking

process, and also engineering, and accounting, madami, services. So, none of them are labor

members, kasi mga educated eh. They just want to be working with the, lets say, Convergys or

American Express. They went as professionals, English speaking, smart, IT oriented. So

labor should look at all these developments and try to broad them the operation between the

Labor Unions and the owners of business, otherwise lilipat ang negosyo. Theyll go to other

country. So I think the DOLE is very much aware of this. In 70s we had more than half a million

garment in textile manufacturing sector for export. But there was a militant move by some labor


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unions that unnerve the garment sector so they transferred to other countries, like China. Now I

under that the garment sector, some of them want to come back, dahil mahal na ang China eh.

As much as 20 thousand pesos a month. Tsaka yung mga labourer, the Japanese factories

are Also the IPO, intellectual property

MB: The one you talking

RMJ: Policy. So dito hindi sila masyadong kabado dahil we have a good legal system eh. So

why back to labor, the confrontational and the cooperation be a win-win situation.

MB : yung isa pong angle, kasi diba there are like 40 families that own the land, what are your

plans to alleviate and equalize the distribution of lands? you got economy and politics. paano

siya manu-neutralize?

RMJ: well, yung economic na end, para kasing franchising yan e. kung ang isang pamilya ay

naging dynasty, magkakaroon ng oligarchy crown. parang tribalism na, mga warlord. not

warlords but lords. there is no wars but they control the economy. political is you control others.

because in political, it is some kind of a curse. and to make policies their way. to lessen that,you need a good leadership, cut the monopoly, empowering the young starcrafts, to be a

cultural and strong family oriented society, so the competitiveness and fitness of others. as a

matter of fact, during the time of late president magsaysay, there is no dynasty

MB: we have this pledge of commitment, it is basically to show what you can do when you are

elected, like co-sponsor or sponsor a bill for the cybercrime law, another, a review of the data

piracy act and support or sponsor the magna carta of internet freedom. you dont need to sign it

here but you can read it with you lawyer and ill get back to you for it. so, it is around 10 things

that you can look and one of them is to actively use social media to communicate and report

with your constituents and citizens on the performance of your activities and abiding the election

law, hopefully you are not epal. have you heard of the epal news from june magsaysay? parang

wala e. walang epal. very good. so this week end, tweet that.

RMJ: i believe in the internet. noong araw, ang lalaki ng billboards. dun sa epal. yung mga

malalaki sa SLEX or sa NLEX, ngayon wala na masyado. wala na.

MB: it is good thing you are not violating the law. take a look at that and ill get back to you. we

will get it from you. we are giving that to all the candidates.

RMJ: so, thank you very watch for getting me here. i once was young like you, good looking and

restless, now i am old, good looking. what is important is how can you serve your country, how

can you help society? become a better society how effective can you be? and this will all showon the 12 years on senate and what i did for love of country and then the private sector.

MB: i would just like to close, in behalf of blogwatch we enjoyed our talk and people in twitter

are, well, they are following you, they say that you are very techy despite of your age. they also

know you background as a pioneer in cable.

RMJ: cable is the original broadband it was analog but now, broadband is digital


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MB: thank you!

transcript of blog watch interview with ramon magsaysay jr

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