Press Release
May 8, 2010

Villar: We can end poverty

Until the end of the campaign period, Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar did not waver in his vow to the Filipino people to end poverty.

"Sa Mayo 10, sama-sama po tayong lahat, tapusin na ... tapusin na po natin ang kahirapan! Tapusin na po natin dito sa Tondo. Dito po natin simulan ang pagtapos ng kahirapan [On May 10, together, let's all put an end to it ... let's end poverty! Let's start putting an end to poverty here in Tondo]," Villar said to end his speech at NP's miting de avance on Friday night in Manila's poorest district.

It was the same message he delivered during the NP's proclamation rally in November last year held at the Macario Sakay Plaza also in Tondo, which is near the house where Villar was born and raised.

Villar told the cheering crowd that he shares the dreams of countless poor Filipino children for a poverty-free country where Filipinos have food on their tables, access to healthcare, shelter, and jobs or livelihood.

Toward the end of the rally, after Villar sang his popular campaign jingle "Hindi Bawal Mangarap," he was joined by the poor children from Baseco compound in Tondo, who appeared with him in his TV ads.

"Sana sa paglaki n'yo, wala nang mahirap sa ating bansa [I hope when you all grow up, there will be no more poor people in our country]," Villar told the Baseco children.

Villar also slammed previous leaders of the country for aggravating poverty because of sheer incompetence and their refusal to believe that it is possible to end poverty.

"[Pwede] po naman tapusin ang kahirapan, sinisisi ko ang mga namumuno ng ating pamahalaan noon mga nakaraang panahon, bakit hindi natapos ang kahirapan? Bakit ang ating mga karatig-bansa, natapos na nila lahat? Walang kadahilanan para hindi pwedeng matapos ang kahirapan. Pwedeng-pwede yan," he said.

[We can end poverty. I blame previous leaders of our government. Why didn't they put an end to poverty? Why were our neighboring countries able to end poverty? There is no reason why we cannot end poverty. It can be done," Villar said.

Villar added that the Philippines has been ruled for 50 years by the same group of families with the same old last names ... the Arroyos, Aranetas, Madrigals and the Cojuangcos who comprise the country's oligarchy and are practically relatives either by affinity or interlocking interests.

"Gusto nila, sila ng sila. Sila ng sila ang magpatakbo ng ating bansa. Gusto nila, pasa-pasa na lamang. Ayaw nila na isang galing sa atin ay maging Pangulo ng bansa. Ayaw nila na ang isang dating squatter sa Tondo, tindero ng hipon sa palengke ay magkaroon ng pagkakataon na maging Pangulo," Villar told the crowd in Tondo, his birthplace.

He told the crowd, particularly the children, to hold on to their dreams and to take to heart the message of his campaign ditty: "Hindi Bawal Mangarap ang Mahirap" (The poor are not forbidden to dream).

"Kinakabahan ako na baka ang mga batang mahihirap ay hindi na mangarap. Baka isipin nila na bawal mangarap ang mahirap. Kaya po, anuman ang mangyari sa halalan na ito, ang aming jingle ay sana manatili sa isipin ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa mga bata, na hindi bawal mangarap ang mahirap," said Villar.

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