CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Pampanga Third District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. said he fully supports the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
The congressman, at the same time, expressed support to programs designed to increase the country's rice productivity.
“I, together with my constituents in Pampanga, fully support the President’s directive. It is unfortunate that the presence of a suspected POGO hub in Porac town, which the authorities recently raided, has tarnished the image of our province,” he said.
He said a huge establishment in his hometown of Mexico is suspected of being a POGO front.
“Pampanga does not need POGOs to prosper. Because of its location in Central Luzon, its extensive road network, for which we thank PBBM and its proximity to Metro Manila, our province has rapidly developed economically. We can sustain its growth without POGOs,” he said.
He added that the offshore gaming issue “will now be a problem of enforcement, which national agencies and local government units, including the barangay, should collaborate.”
Gonzales also lauded the President for mentioning issues related to rice production in the early part of his State of the Nation Address on Monday.
“Itong nabanggit ng Pangulo, kasama ang presyo ng bigas, ang pinakamalapit sa puso at sikmura ng ating mga kababayan. Lahat tayo ay apektado nito,” he said.
“Being a farmer’s son, I know the problems of farming by heart,” Gonzales said.
He urged the government to support rice farmers through farm inputs, irrigation, and post-harvest facilities.
"Without irrigation, a farmer “can plant only one crop in one year, and that is during the rainy season, hoping enough rain would pour to irrigate his farm," the lawmaker said.
“Kapag kulang ang ulan, patay ang tanim. Kapag sobra naman, patay din,” he added.
Gonzales pointed out that the availability of irrigation would enable a farmer to plant at least two crops a year.
“That’s double his harvest and his income. If we can do that on a large scale, we can easily increase our production and supply of the staple. More rice means lower prices,” he said.