CAMPAIGN OPENING SALVO:
REVILLA REACHES OUT TO THE POOR AND THE DEVASTATED

Senator Bong Revilla today started his campaign sorties by visiting the poor residents of Payatas in Quezon City and also Rizal Province where tens of thousands of families were devastated by floods during the wrath of typhoon Ondoy last year.

In his first stop, the senator consulted the Payatas residents regarding their conditions, their needs and their livelihood. "Thousands of people sourced their livelihood in Payatas dumpsite. Most of them are engaged in waste picking. I understand that the local government is doing its best to rehabilitate Payatas, but the people whose income comes from the dumpsites should not be left behind," said Revilla, one of the senatoriables who gathered the most number of votes during the 2004 elections.

Revilla's discussion with the residents focused mainly on programs for alternative livelihood. The community has assured the senator that they will not be a hindrance for such development. They stressed that the government should support them financially in terms of skills training.

After his short dialogue with the Payatas residents, Revilla went straight to Rizal where almost 20,000 families were affected by tropical storm Ondoy last year. He was accompanied from Payatas to Rizal by members of Motorcycle Philippines Federation (MCPF), the umberella organization of motorbikers clubs in the country who have been supporting his Mandatory Helmet Bill which aims to oblige all motorcycle riders, including the backriders, to wear quality standard helmet.

During the height of typhoon Ondoy last year, Revilla led his Kaagapay sa Araw ng Pangangailangan (KAP) relief operations in different towns of Rizal, where his group distributed rice, noodles and canned goods. The lawmaker also helped in rescuing families trapped in the floods. Almost five months after the catastrophe, Revilla once again visited province. He expressed elation as he witnessed Rizal's slow but steady recovery.

Revilla stressed that what he is seeing today in Rizal Province is totally different from the sight I have seen last September. He recalled the distraught look in the faces of the flood-stricken families, houses broken to the ground or washed away by strong currents of the Marikina river, and streets that were either flooded or filled with mixture of mud and garbage. "Ngayon, unti-unti na ang pag-ahon ng Rizal at mga mamamayan nito. Itong angking galing ng mga Pinoy, ang pagiging palaban sa hamon ng buhay, kung bakit sila ang idol ko sa pagseserbisyo-publiko," he said.

He assured the people that he will continue to help them in rebuilding their province. The senator also promised them that he will support any move against any activities that cause forest denudation. "We are no stranger to storms. If we are careful enough in using our natural resources, disasters like this will not happen to us," explained Revilla, who authored the Disaster Management Bill which seeks to decentralize disaster management strategies down to the barangay level for more expeditious and coordinated response to calamities.

To date, Revilla has already filed almost 500 bills, 103 of which were already passed into law. These include the Minimum Wage Tax Exemption Act, Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprise, New Fire Code and Rent Control Act of 2009.