By Liza Soriano
MANILA — In a statement on Wednesday (27 Dec 2023), Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III highlighted the recent allocation of additional funds for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office, emphasizing the administration’s likely plans for extensive travel in 2024.
While acknowledging the President’s prerogative to travel, Pimentel issued a word of caution, urging awareness of pressing “local” concerns.
“The increase in the foreign and local trips budget is reflective of their plans for 2024. If the President intends to travel more, then so be it. But he should be aware that our people’s problems are ‘more local’ than he thinks,” Pimentel asserted.
Pimentel specifically addressed the critical issue of food production in his remarks.
“Food production means we need to produce more food from our land. Food importation is not the same as food production,” he emphasized.
(IAmigo/MNM)