DUMAGUETE CITY – Senator Cynthia Villar is backing the holding of the national elections in May 2019 amid talks of a “No-El” (no election) by some quarters.
In an interview Tuesday, Villar said “no matter how bad, we have to have an election kasi parang nagkakaroon ng instability kapang walang election (because it looks like there is instability [in government] without an election).”
Villar was the guest of honor of Mayor Reynaldo Concepcion of Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, on the eve of the city’s fiesta celebration.
The lady senator said the so-called “No-el” could be one of the reasons for the change in leadership in the House of Representatives.
“Hindi na siguro nila nagugustuhan ang mga nangyayari sa kongreso (they may no longer approve of what is happening in Congress),” she said of those who are floating the idea of no elections in 2019.
She said she has also observed that while some congressmen are given budgets, others do not have any.
Villar said congressmen are elected by the people, and it is not congressional representatives who need the budget but the people.
Meanwhile, she also cited the need to also promote the so-called farm tourism, “at ginawa natin ito para mabigyan ng additional income ang ating mga farmers and fisherfolk (we are doing this so we can provide additional income to our farmers and fisherfolk),” by making their farms a tourist destination.
At the same time, Villar said tourist farms can also be converted into farm schools to teach and promote good agricultural practices.
Republic Act 10816 or the Farm Tourism Development Law, which she authored, encourages farmers to make their farms tourist destinations and farm schools to become competitive and able to address poverty in the agriculture sector.
It is also the dream of Sen. Villar to establish farm schools in every city or municipality to be supported by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority that is in charge of paying the tuition of farmers.
Villar graced the Sinulog de Tanjay and the mock battle in honor of patron saint, Sr. Santiago, which she lauded for being a major tourism draw for Tanjay City.
She praised local chief executives who, in their own initiatives, had helped promote tourism in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Villar said every celebration is a good time for children to know and appreciate history, religious traditions and affiliations that they could continue into the next generation. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
