Duterte-Cayetano listen to UP street vendors

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano holds an informal huddle with street vendors of the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Thursday, February 18.

The tandem listened to the vendors problems and offered some solutions.

Pia Ranada reports. – Rappler.com

Rodrigo Duterte and Alan Peter Cayetano are special guests of this sari-sari store in the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.

The two candidates meet with UP street vendors before attending a forum.

The small-time vendors explain their hardships, including borrowing money at high interest from loan sharks.

It’s bad for business.

RODRIGO DUTERTE, ALAN PETER CAYETANO, VENDORS: They are taking the bait of the 5-6 loan sharks because they have no other choice. They pay them everyday. (How, you just call them) Someone offers. (And what is the arrangement? 30 days, 60 days?) Some offer 40 days, some 60 days. (So if I borrow P5,000 today?) It’s 100 a day. So, you will have to pay 6,000 more. So 60 days, P100 everyday. (So that’s cash, not appliance?) Cash but the Indians sir before they give you money, you have to pledge items apart from the payment. (Like refrigerators?) No sir, like blankets, whatever you have.

Duterte and Cayetano explain their solution: funds for their own cooperatives which they can borrow from.

RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we’re hoping for here is unionized cooperatives. But the problem is that most of the cooperatives in the Philippines collapsed, even those in Davao City. For one reason or another it really requires honesty and integrity. But we will find a solution. We’ll extend the union or cooperatives instead so you can pay there. It will be a bit more expensive but the union will be yours.

Duterte says he would retain the Aquino administration’s conditional cash transfer program for the poor.

RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will maintain the 4Ps because the people need it. Maybe expand it a little more since we have to cover more and more poor people because of uncontrolled population growth.

Duterte suggested another poverty-alleviating measure. 

RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don’t want to quarrel with the Church but I would insist on family-planning.

Godofredo Garcia, a leader of the UP vendors association, likes the cooperatives idea.

GODOFREDO GARCIA, UP STREET VENDOR: Those things about capital, we like them, so that it won’t be a problem for the vendors. In other words, maybe the can provide funds so the members will be able to use them. We would like that.

But he is still undecided about who to vote for.

GODOFREDO GARCIA, UP STREET VENDOR: It’s hard to decide because it’s still early. But the good thing is they sought out our group of vendors here in UP. If we won’t be able to hear the platforms of the other candidates, we’ll most likely vote for Duterte.

Filipinos have 3 months to make up their mind.

Pia Ranada, Rappler, Quezon City.