Miriam promises jobs in the countryside

If elected president, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said her administration would create more jobs in the rural areas so that Filipinos would no longer need to go to urban centers or work abroad to support their families. This could be done, according to Santiago, by focusing on economic development, poverty reduction, and jobs creation through heavy investment on public infrastructure, modernizing agriculture, and attracting foreign investors. “I commit that the Philippine economy will grow faster than ever before, and that it will be truly inclusive. We will make sure that real incomes of workers all over the country will increase over time,” she said. The program of government Santiago posted on her website shows that she intends to spark economic activity outside Metro Manila by implementing one major infrastructure project and setting up one mixed-used government center per region. Santiago also promised to build an entirely new railway system from [...]