WHO DESERVES YOUR VOTE? Exclusive Interview With JC Delos Reyes (First Of 5)

Print Email

Cosmo: How about guys who cheat on girls? What are your thoughts?

Delos Reyes: Well, if the president is vocal about those things, a lot of people would think it's trivial. But if the president would daresay that one's personal life cannot be separated from public life, then that's a message in itself. The presidency is a pulpit for education and for values formation. And of course you cannot let it flow freely if you don't practice it. And so, previously, if you have presidents who were philanderers who [are] elected, then they cannot speak about it.


Cosmo: Some of our readers have lost their jobs. How will they get back their jobs? Are we seeing a prosperous economy under your term?

Delos Reyes: I'll keep it simple. We generate employment by allowing small and medium enterprises to thrive, and these small and medium enterprises will directly hire people in their localities. But when you have a culture where, before you put up a business, the barangay asks for kickbacks, bribes, then it hampers the ease of doing business. So the solution there is to insist on, again, the laws that have already been enacted, like the Barangay Micro-business Act. That would exempt small businesses from taxation, and that would ease doing business in a locality by offering credit; there would be credit windows for small enterprises.

The culture is such that the pre-operation cost to put businesses up is too high. Graft and corruption is the number one culprit. But when a president insists that these should be changed, [that] something should be changed about business, and this is properly communicated, then I think the moral assessment to say it [is], there will be a start in putting up these businesses that would give employment to our people.

The goal of Kapatiran is to bring back the OFWs--to bring them back, but not abruptly, because there are no opportunities here nga. If 10 million OFWs are abroad, I would say 40 million Filipinas are hurting and are leading miserable lives because they are separated from their families. The solution to that is, well, it will take them years, but the government should start bringing them back and, [in] the meantime, [provide] an atmosphere where they will find business opportunities, entrepreneurship here in our country.

The social cost is too high. We're suffering in terms of peace and order, in terms of those who don't want to go to school or out of school youth, [in terms of] health problems. It's not worth it, [for] a government [to have] a labor-export policy. Our government has become the largest placement agency for their own Filipinos. Instead of focusing on doing everything to create an atmosphere where domestic and foreign businesses or investment could thrive by solving the peace and order problem, [we have] the Mindanao crisis, insurgency crisis, the corruption problem.

Even in Olongapo City, they are so happy being a placement agency for the US bases [being built] up in Guam. They build up people instead of putting businesses or allowing businesses to [be] set up, so that's a problem. Simple solution: just allow small businesses, small medium enterprises, and you will have so many jobs.


Cosmo: What are your thoughts on gay rights? Will you allow them to run for higher office?

Delos Reyes: Of course. They are marginalized, and if they could prove that they need to be protected, yes, of course, [we will]. I did not agree with the Comelec invoking morality, and the Supreme Court was correct in reversing that decision.

However, if, for example, they would assert or propose gay marriage since we have democracy, I disagree to that. I respect them--I have a lot of gay friends, I love my gay friends, they are great people. But my point here [is], if society demands that they should stick to their gender--that [is], if they are male, they stick to being male; if they are female, stick to being a female--then society should also demand that married men should stick to their wives. It's not a double standard to stick [to] homosexuals and invoke the moral question when they themselves are called to be a good guy or be virtuous, as a married man is called to be virtuous; [there's] no difference. We're talking about human dignity here, and human dignity is for everybody.

Follow Cosmopolitan Philippines on Facebook and Twitter!

Print | Email

Related Articles

• LINK LOVE: Election Day 101
• How To Deal With Insecure People
• WHO DESERVES YOUR VOTE? Exclusive Interview With Jamby Madrigal (Third of 5)
• WHO DESERVES YOUR VOTE? Exclusive Interview With Bro. Eddie (Fourth of 5)
• New TV Beauty To Watch For: Louise Delos Reyes

From THE FUN, FEARLESS FORUM:

x

Friend's Email:
Message: (optional)
Your Name:
Your Email:

Follow
us on:

  

POPULAR IN BETTER YOU

Join thousands of subscribers enjoying our fab weekly Wednesday sendouts, and get EXCLUSIVE celeb news, tips, and promos right in your inbox.