POVERTY, ROOT OF CRIME AND DRUGS, IS POE'S PRIORITY

LAGUNA--To solve the persistent problems of crime and illegal drugs, presidential race frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe said poverty, the root of a lot of ills in society, must first be addressed by the government.

Speaking to supporters in Santa Cruz, Laguna, the home province of husband Neil Llamanzares, Poe said her administration will focus on reducing poverty in the country.

If people live dignified lives, lower crime rates will follow, she said.

"Kung ako ang magiging pangulo, ang prayoridad ko talaga ay maibsan ang kahirapan. 'Yan ang puno't dulo ng problema natin sa ating bayan," Poe told hundreds of multi-sectoral representatives who welcomed her.

"Totoo, may problema tayo sa kaligtasan o peace and order. Maraming problema sa ating bayan katulad ng droga. Kailangan, isang malakas na lider, pero kailangan, may malasakit at tumutulong sa inyo," she said.

Poe, who took the lead in the latest presidential preference survey, said her administration will prioritize job creation by improving the over-all business climate in the country.

"Marami tayong puwedeng gawing mga trabaho pa na dumagdag dito sa Laguna. Susuportahan natin na mas dumami ang manufacturing sa ating bansa, sapagkat kung dumami ang 'Made in the Philippines,' mas maraming trabahong malilikha para sa inyo," she said.

The booming electronics and semiconductors industry in Laguna continues to draw attention to the manufacturing sector, which is considered one of the main drivers of the country's steady economic growth.

From an annual growth rate of 5.4 percent in 2012, the manufacturing sector grew by 10.5 percent in 2013 and 8.1 in 2014, the government's central portal on industry policies (industry.gov.ph) showed.