Lacson: Buy local products
PARTIDO Reporma chairman and standard bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has urged Filipinos to buy “Made in the Philippines” products to help local businesses thrive.
With the holiday season just around the corner, the presidential candidate said the Lacson-Sotto tandem is hopeful Filipino consumers will patronize products that are made, designed and developed in the Philippines.
Lacson expressed this proposal in a virtual media forum Thursday, not only in answer to a question about inflation, but also to help micro-, small- and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) rebound from its losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Tangkilikin natin ‘yung ‘Made in the Philippines’ na mga produkto at saka ‘yung itinanim sa Pilipinas. Kanina nanonood ako sa isang balita tungkol sa pamamalengke, tungkol sa pag-sho-shop doon sa mga laruan para sa Christmas, e ‘pag tiningnan mo puro ‘Made in China.’ E kaya naman ng mga tao natin ‘yan,” Lacson said.
In reply to inflation questions, Lacson said; “Talagang tataas ‘yung inflation because pagka imported, sino ang nagdidikta ng presyo? ‘Yung nag-ma-manufacture at nag-e-export para sa atin.
Samantalang kung tayo ang nag-i-import, bababa ‘yung cost, bababa ‘yung presyo, so bababa ‘yung inflation.”
He said that a focus on local manufacturing, buying “Made in the Philippines” and an export-driven mentality will help the country bring down inflation, which hit its highest levels in two years at 4.7-percent in February this year.
The country pointed out, should reduce its reliance on imports, boost its support for MSMEs, and enhance its manufacturing sector to keep prices down and ultimately help Filipinos cope amid multiple crises.
For his part, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Lacson’s running mate, also repeated their campaign’s warning on excess importation and the reduction of tariffs on commodities such as pork.
Sotto stressed that the government should buy farm products from the country’s agricultural workers, who make up 40 percent of the Filipino workers, to boost both the industry and the farmers and fishermen responsible for 20 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product.
