At a ritual blessing by seven Mangyan tribes in Mindoro, Baguilat noted that IPs “have cross-generational knowledge  about environmental protection that can lead the country’s actions against climate change”.

Baguilat, together with the leaders of the seven Mangyan tribes and other stakehokders in Mindoro Oriental, also signed a covenant recognizing the critical role of IPs in national development, environmental conservation, and the need for government to uphold IP rights.

The tribes also committed their support for Baguilat’s candidacy.

“It is high time that IPs are recognized and called to action to support the country’s development, especially as we face climate change and various environmental disasters,” Baguilat said.

Baguilat is vying for a seat in the Senate under the unified ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. He aims to bring to the Senate the IP perspective which nurtures the environment, culture and human rights.

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Moreno was quoted in reports as saying “50% tax cuts sa oil, 50% tax cuts sa kuryente, at sigurado ako para ko nang binigyan ng ayuda hanggang bundok ng Tralala.”

Baguilat remarked, however, that “the move is a short-term fix for a long-term problem.”

“Of course, cutting taxes will reduce fuel and electricity prices, but they will also deprive the government of much-needed funds, especially money to jump-start the economy after the pandemic,” Baguilat elaborated.

“We should also remember that electricity prices have several components, as anyone’s electricity bill will show, so simply saying that taxes on electricity should be cut is an over-simplified statement that sounds pleasant but is short on practicality,” he added.

Noting the factors affecting fuel prices, Baguilat said that “even without taxes, fuel and electricity will still be affected by international prices, especially costs associated with oil, which have rarely dropped. And international conflicts like the one in Ukraine also tend to lead to oil price spikes.”

“The more sustainable solution is to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy and technologies, including switching to electric vehicles, which is what VP Leni Robredo is pushing for. It may take time, but the gains will be far more extensive and permanent,” Baguilat said.

Baguilat is running for the Senate in the 2022 elections under the unified ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. He aims to bring to the Senate the platform of indigenous peoples and the indigenous mindset which nurtures and promotes rights, culture and the environment. #

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“Vegetable smuggling poses a serious threat to the livelihood of the farmers in Benguet,” Baguilat remarked. Baguilat noted that Benguet farmers have yet to recover from the devastation to their income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and now they have to deal with losses caused by smuggled vegetables.
Benguet farmers are the main suppliers of salad vegetables to major markets like Metro Manila and Cebu, but smuggled vegetables have flooded these markets.
Baguilat is acutely aware of the plight of the farmers of the Cordilleras. This is one of the motivating factors behind his decision at the height of the pandemic in 2020 to help bring Cordillera farmers’ produce to Metro Manila through a social enterprise.
Baguilat thus joined the Benguet group of vegetable traders in appealing to the government to immediately stop the illegal entry of agricultural products which are taking away precious income from the farmers.
“When there are smuggled goods like vegetables from China, there are people who earn from corruption. They enrich themselves at the expense of our farmers,” Baguilat said.

Baguilat is vying for a seat in the Senate under the ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. He aims to bring to the Senate the indigenous peoples’ mindset that nurtures the
environment, culture, human rights as well as agriculture.
Baguilat stressed that a Robredo government will prioritize stopping the smuggling of vegetables.
About 58,000 households in Benguet, Ifugao and Mt. Province depend on farming. Together they produce about 80 percent of the country’s highland vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli and carrots.

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Senate aspirant Teddy Baguilat urged students of Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) to bring the government to the people and encouraged future public servants to be responsive to the needs of the masses.

Speaking at the webinar marking the 21^st anniversary of the SLSU Public Administration League of Students, Baguilat shared his experiences from when he was mayor of Kiangan, Ifugao up until he became governor of the province.

“Isa sa pinakamalaking problema ng ating pamahalaan, ng ating politika, is the culture of corruption (One of the biggest problems of our government, of our politics, is the culture of corruption),” Baguilat said as he discussed corruption in its different forms.

At the webinar entitled “How a Public Administrator Becomes a Public Administrator,” Baguilat narrated how he pushed back against corruption by declining all sorts of “SOPs” (standard operating procedures) and “regalos” (gifts) from people he encountered during his term as mayor.

“Every day, as a politician, you are exposed to this temptation (of corruption),” Baguilat lamented.

Baguilat advised that to be an effective public administrator, the individual must keep in mind that their service is always for the masses and not for greedy individuals who exploit the people.

“Kasi ako, bilang public servant, naniniwala ako na ang public office is a public trust. Pinaniniwalaan ka ng tao, kaya ka binoto, pakinggan mo sila (I as a public servant believe that a public office is a public trust. The people trust you, that’s why they voted for you, and so you must listen to them),” Baguilat concluded.

The webinar can be viewed by following this link:

https://www.facebook.com/PALS2000/videos/2031999286978300/

Baguilat is running for the Senate in the 2022 elections under the unified ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. He aims to bring to the Senate the platform of indigenous peoples and the indigenous mindset which nurtures and promotes rights, culture and the environment. #

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