FORMER Cabinet secretaries from the Ramos and Macapagal-Arroyo administrations on Wednesday threw their full support behind the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.”

The ex-cabinet secretaries include former Ramos administration Executive Secretary Ruben Torres and former Arroyo administration Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza as well as Trade Undersecretary and former Agriculture Secretary Ernesto Ordoňez.

The three former cabinet members went to the Manila City Hall to personally convey their full support behind Mayor Isko and his running mate, Dr Willie Ong.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor joined a zoom meeting to ask Moreno for his plan for the agriculture sector if he becomes president. He was joined by Bong Inciong, president of the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) and Danilo Fausto, national chairman of the Dairy Confederation of the Philippines.

“Mayor, yung sinabi niyo na malaki ang tenga niyo, meaning handa kayong making, malakas po ang dating nun. Sinabi niyo rin noon, sa declaration speech niyo, ang plano ‘natin’, yun po yung natin, ay parang bandila ng Pilipinas na ating hahabiin mula sa hibla at sinulid na manggagaling sa inyo,” Montemayor said.

Montemayor’s group has sent to Moreno their proposed 12-point agenda for a better Philippine agriculture.

The former Cabinet secretaries lauded Moreno’s plans to cut taxes on oil and electricity by half, the establishment of cold storage and post-harvest facilities in all provinces and other vital areas across the country, as well as the creation of jobs by stimulating medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) in the countryside by appropriating 30 percent of local government units’ (LGUs) windfall from the Mandanas ruling for loans for the sector.

“They are game-changing, revolutionary, creative and based on facts,” Ordoňez said.

Braganza, also a former press secretary, said this is the first time that he heard an aspiring president that is willing to sacrifice the government coffers for the sake of the ordinary people.

“Ang isang magandang narinig ko, dapat mag sakripisyo ang gobyerno, kesa mapunta sa gobyerno at nakawin lang ng pulitiko. Ngayon ko lang narinig yan sa isang potensyal na pangulo ng Pilipinas na ganyan ang plataporma,” said Braganza.

“You can feel that it can be a brighter future. How to fix the economy with emphasis on malilit na tao na may maliliit na income, ang palaging kausap magsasaka o di kaya manggagawa,” said Braganza..

Moreno said he highly appreciates the support of the former Cabinet officials for their support, saying the help of everybody is needed to win the fight for “buhay at kabuhayan.”

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga organisasyon, sa ibang sector, na-appreciate nila yung effort namin na to listen to them, naka-create kami ng ideas. Maraming salamat na na-appreciate ng dating gabinete ng bansa na kailangan namin talaga ng tulong para magtagumpay sa laban,” said the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer.

“I am happy that a lot of sensible people are throwing their support to us,” Moreno said.

Moreno vowed that he and his team, Dr. Willie Ong and the Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial slate, will continue to go around the country to listen to the people to formulate additional plans that are fact-based to uplift the lives of the people, promote food security and lead to economic recovery.

“Talagang kailangang-kailangan namin ang tulong ni Doc Willie. If palarin kami, first two years, alam niyo na ang direksyon – buhay at kabuhayan, tao muna,” Moreno said.