VP Sara tells gov't execs to touch base with OFWs

Vice President Sara Duterte suggested that the Marcos administration reach out to Filipino communities around the world to get ideas on how to solve the country's problems, like flooding. 

Duterte said that government officials should follow in her footsteps and converse with overseas Filipinos, as they know the “best practices.”

“Siguro dapat gawin nila 'yung ginagawa ko, diba? Umiikot ako sa iba't ibang Filipino communities around the world. The overseas Filipinos and the overseas Filipino workers ang pinaka the best na mga consultants, kasi sila 'yung nakatira, nakaikot sa buong mundo, naka-trabaho sa iba't ibang lugar. Alam nila ang best practices,” she said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands on Thursday. 

(Maybe they should do what I do, right? I visit different Filipino communities around the world. The overseas Filipinos and the overseas Filipino workers are the best consultants, because they are the ones who live, travel around the world, and work in different places. They know the best practices.) 

“So anong dapat ginagawa natin? Tinatanong natin sila. Ano ba yung nakita ninyo? Ano ba ‘yung pangarap natin para sa ating bayan? Ano ba ‘yung doable doon sa ating bayan na best practices galing sa, sabihin na natin sa Kuwait, sabihin na natin sa Australia, sabihin na natin sa Netherlands,” she added. 

(So what should we do? We ask them what they’ve seen, what their dream for our country is, and what best practices are doable for the Philippines based on the countries they’ve been to.) 

Sought for comment, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the vice president should give her advice to her brother, Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte.

"Ayaw nyang magbigay ng free advice para sa bansa?! Kung may natutunan na siyang solusyon sa pagsugpo sa problema sa pagbaha sa bansa sa dami ng kanyang byahe, ibigay na nya ang free advice niya kay Acting Mayor Baste ng Davao City," Castro said on Friday.

(The vice president doesn't want to give free advice for the country?! If she has learned a solution to the country's flooding problem through her various travels, she should give her free advice to Acting Mayor Baste of Davao City.)

"Abangan na lang natin kung epektibo at kung di na babaha sa kanilang lungsod."

(Let's wait and see whether it's effective and if their city will no longer experience flooding.)

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. earlier disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors. He said five of these 15 contracts have projects in almost all regions nationwide.

Marcos also recently ordered lifestyle checks on all officials amid the investigation into anomalous flood control projects in the country. 

Duterte has backed the President’s order, saying that the lifestyle checks should include all elected and appointed officials.—LDF/VBL, GMA Integrated News