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active in terms of discussing

yung mga issues sa DepEd, sa mga

guro, dun sa mga

miscellaneous

payments, among others.

Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Saan galing itong...

I mean, it seems na malapit sa puso niya when you

share yung mga stories ng mga gurus, ng mga

estudyante. Ako, of course,

teacher din ako. So, malapit din sa puso niya.

I mean, I teach in the rest of the Philippines.

So, yung mommy ko ay

guro din. So, I come from a family of educators.

I'm an educator myself. So, obviously,

malapit din sa puso ko yan. So, I wanted to understand,

Senator, where does that come

from, that concern about

the DepEd? The reason I'm saying this,

Senator, is because yung education

system natin ay talagang malaking,

malalim yung problema talaga dyan. In fact, I heard

a lot of experts telling us, parang

ticking time bomb yan in a sense na nung pandemic,

daming delays.

Kung titignan mo yung World Bank studies

dun sa functional literacy,

ang baba ng scores natin.

Even compared sa, hindi lang

Asia, no? Yung mga ibang

napakahirap na bansa. So, I just

want to understand, Senator, where is this

coming from? Is it because you also recognize

ang lalim ng problema, ang daming

abuso nang ngyari, something radical

has to be done? Because ang daming pwede pang

ibang problema na pag-usapan sa bansa, di ba?

Exactly. Thank you for bringing that up

and for asking that

very important question.

It started

more than a decade ago

na when I

kept getting

complaints from parents

na may mga anak sa public

elementary and high school and their complaints

are pare-pareho na

sinisingil yung kanilang mga anak

for the contribution, pambili ng

electric fund, pambili ng

jobos, chalk,

yung mga supplies

sa school, pambayad sa kuryente

ng eskwelahan, pambayad

ng security guard, janitor,

stuff like that.

And they're using

the PTA para

makapag-collecta sila na they know there's a

no, na bawal yun.

So they said, well, it's Parents-Teachers Association

initiative

and it's voluntary.

So sinasabi ko palagi,

kung voluntary, ba't marami

na kukomplain sa akin? By the

thousands, we have to put a

stop to it. May budget naman ng DepEd

for that.

Meron naman yung MOOE.

So year in, year out,

palaging kailangan may contribution.

Ito pa, Richard,

those children,

those students who are not able to

give that voluntary contribution

that they're asking,

napapahiya.

Nilalagay sa group chat,

ito hindi pa nakapagbigay.

Ito nagbigay na ito.

Exactly. It's being bullied

and pinapagalitan sa lahat

ng mga klase. Sabihin, ito hindi pa

nag-contribute to. Ito nag-contribute na.

Ikaw hindi pa nag-contribute. So I was

telling DepEd for so many years,

even the previous administration

said, stop. But they wouldn't.

They wouldn't. They said,

we don't want to meddle into

that kind of issue because

it's a PTA, Parents

Teachers Association. They talked about

it in their meetings and they

both agreed, the parents of the teachers, na magkaroon

ng contribution for the improvement

of the school. Sabi ko, teka muna, what is

the purpose of the PTA? Sabi ko, di ba

ang purpose ng PTA for the teachers

and the parents, they will talk about

the academic

performance of their students. And how to

improve it. And how to improve it,

not how to improve your

skwelahan, your room, how to

buy paints, how to

buy chalks,

flower base, electric

fans. Especially, mahirap yung mga estudyante.

Exactly. Sabi ko, kaya nga pumunta dyan sa

public school because mahirap to.

As a matter of fact, Richard,

sabi pa nga ng DepEd, itong

recent budget hearing namin, last,

sabi, yeah, we have this, what we called

yung feeding

program. And the purpose of

them having that feeding program,

public schools, para mainganyo yung mga bata

dahil karamihan sa kanila, they're so poor,

malnourished, and

they go to school hungry.

So, when they

get to their classroom,

they fall asleep. Or some of

them don't go to school anymore.

To avoid that, para hindi magkaroon ng dropout,

nagkaroon ng feeding program.

Sabi ko, no, it defeats the purpose

na you having that feeding program and yet,

sinisingil mo

yung mga estudyante.

Hindi nilalagay mo ng laman dito.

Nilalabas mo yung laman dyan sa kabila.

Exactly. And then, how about those students

na umahasan sa four-piece yung parents?

So, what happens to those kids

na walang, yung mga parents na umahasan

sa four-piece from the government?

So, you will ask a

voluntary contribution from them.

Kasi kumisa meron yung tinatawag na peer pressure.

O nga, voluntary.

Pero yung mga katabi mong estudyante

na bibigay, ikaw, wala. Pag uwi mo ng bahay,

ma, si ganitong, ibigyan ko.

Especially mga bata, diba? Nagkakompare sila.

Exactly. At may konting suksungan dyan.

So, I said,

it has to stop. And I'm very glad

that DepEd did agree with me

na they will

come out with the

department order, putting a stop

to this voluntary contribution to the PTA.

So, sir, what you're saying is that

this is not about a particular administration

or person. This is a culture

of abuse and bullying na nangyari.

Sobrang matagal.

So, you're trying to fight against that culture of abuse.

Culture of abuse. It's been happening

for the past so many years.

Two administrations.

Before. Not this administration,

maski pa yung mga nakarang administration.

Yeah, exactly. This is a kultura na to.

Hindi ito one leadership or one

administration, among others. I mean, there was

an episode recently when you brought out

the list quite dramatically. I mean, you were quite

emotional when you were doing that. I'm sure

some people say, oh, the drama na na.

I still have the list. More than 10,000.

How did you get it? What's the process?

How do you, you know? Very easy.

As easy as ABC.

Because I have these

complainants that went to my show

and then when I post it,

after I interviewed them, and then

it went viral, and then we have

thousands and thousands of complaints

in the comment section.

Ako rin nakaranas. Ako rin yung anak ko.

Ako rin yung anak ko. Ako, ako, ako.

From different provinces, from different towns.

And genuine mga tao na ito.

Genuine to it. Oh, hindi to troll.

Alam mo naman, hindi to troll sa

social media. No, no, no. Hindi to troll.

And nag-testing kami

more than 200

randomly, and then

pinili namin different provinces and different

town cities, etc. And

they said, yes, talagang pati kami nakaranas

yan. Dapat i-stop na yan. Thank you, Mr. Trufo, for

bringing that up. Thank you, Senator. And we hope

na sana ma-solusyon na yung problema nga.

So, systemic talaga yung problema.

That's why I said, i-print nyo yan. Lahat ng mga

nag-comment, nagpapadala ng

comments about that

problema sa DepEd. So,

kinumpile namin at

inabot ng gano'ng pagkakaba because

more than 10,000 ata.

Yeah, I mean, Senator, I mean, again, I'm

siguro biased ako sa education and all of that,

but hindi nga, ang lalim ng problema

and when you ask about it, all of the

surveys, etc., sobrang

napag-iwanan ng Pilipinas, so kahit

fastest-growing economy tayo, etc., kung yung basic

education natin problemado. Kami nga,

nakikita namin sa graduate school at university

kasi yung mga umakit ngayon, yung

kalidad, it's not like before, no? So,

there's something more fundamental there.

But, Senator, beyond yung

pointing out yung culture of bullying

and trying to protect people, are you also,

you know, do you have a kind of a,

initiative to help na talagang iakyat

yung antas, yung kalidad ng edukasyon,

especially sa basic education? I think it starts

with the teachers. Dapat kung,

how can we get quality teachers? How can we

get good teachers kung mababa

ang pasweldo?

And some of these teachers are being abused

dahil have been

taken advantage of.

Nakarinig ka ba ng mga loan sharking

sa mga teachers na

wala siyang nilalagay na ceiling

cup na kung hanggang saan na dapat

sila pinapayagan ng mangutang at

na magkakaroon ng tinatawag na

automatic deduction. Marami mga teachers

lubog sa utang.

So, paano pong mga concentrator magtuturo

na iniisip nila yung paano yung mabayaran yung utang?

At ang bababa ng sweldo.

So, some teachers would rather go abroad.

In Singapore, in

Brunei,

because the pace

better. So, hindi tayo

makakuha ng better teachers

kung ang sweldo natin sa mga teachers mababa

at kuminsan na

taken advantage pa siya. Pagdating sa

eleksyon, sa Comelec,

ginagamit sila. Iba sa kanila, hindi pa

nababayaran. So, we should have, we should

stop that. We should treat

our teachers better.

We should take care of our teachers too. Take care of our teachers

because the teachers takes care of

the students. And

overall, that takes care of the economy in the country.

And then, of course, dapat yung mga

textbook nasa ayos kasi may mga balita tayo.

Yung mga textbook, mali-mali yung spelling, mali yung

grammar, mali-mali yung

mga information na kalagay doon.

So, kasama rin doon.

The other thing you're quite

known for is also labor rights

issues. You know, you're active

on this also, especially yung OFWs

natin. Kasi, of course, I also work

back in the day doon sa

legislature, doon sa mga OFW affairs,

sa mga others. Marami tayong mga kaibigan,

kamag-anak ng OFWs.

So, lalong-lalong-lalong sigat kayo sa

mga yan because, you know, you kind of

represent their

channel to some sort of justice. Can you tell us a little bit

about this, the OFW

issue and what you're doing on that front

dito sa sanada?

Well, first of all,

I would like to thank the OFWs

for supporting me. They've been

supporting me for so long.

I can no longer

remember the year when they started

supporting me. But I know I wouldn't be

Rafi Tulfo had it not been for the support

of the OFWs. That's why I really love

them so much. And I'll do everything

to make sure na malalagay sila

sa kabutihan, malalagay yung kanilang

kapakanan na ay maprotektahan.

Now, what is the problem

of the OFWs?

You know?

Well, saan tayo magsimula?

Saan tayo magsimula?

Now, lahat

ng ating OFWs, they go abroad

for the sake of their family.

For the sake of the future of their family.

And so,

when they get there,

magtatrabaho sila.

Blood, sweat, and tears.

And then, habang nag-u-work

sila, nababalitaan nila

back in their country,

back here in the Philippines, na pag-abalita po sila.

Na yung kanilang anak ay minamaltrato, inaabuso, minamolestya, and then yung kanilang naiwan ng mister, ng babae, lasengo, etc.

Yun yung pinaka-nightmare ng marami sa ating mga OFWs. Unfortunately, napakarami yan. Napakataas ang bilang yan.

Yung social cost, no? Ang laki ng social cost.

And that's when I come in. And that's when I give solution to the problem. That's when I ask these DMWs or what to change some policies para mag-fit in dito sa mga problema ng mga OFWs na masolbe yung mga problema na kinaharap nila.

Yung mga nightmares nila, mabigyan natin ng solusyon at mag-iisin sila na okay na yung problema nila. Wala na.

Senator, are you looking at... I mean, in fairness, at least naman yung economy natin medyo mga at-at over the top.

The past decade or so, we're the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia. But still, unemployment is a big problem. Inclusive growth is a big problem.

Are you hoping that down the road, maging optional na lang? I mean, in the real sense of the word na pwede kang magtrabaho sa Pilipinas as much as you can.

Medyo mas maganda lang bayad abroad. Hindi yung situation na desperado ka kaya nang abroad ka.

Kasi this issue of labor exporting is very unique to the Philippines over the past four decades or so.

Dalawa yan Richard. Una, malaking tulong yung pag-export natin.

Of course, contribution sa economy natin.

Sa economy natin. In fact, there were several times na nagkaroon ng global recession at hindi tayo masyadong napektohan dahil sa mga OFWs.

Meron tayong cushion. At to what social cost? Ito na nga.

Kung ako tatanungin, mas maganda kung wala na sa ating OFWs na tatrabaho sa abroad because alam ko yung hirap na magdinaan sa mga OFWs na sa abroad.

But the problem is, we don't have enough investment that will propel our economy.

So that these OFWs don't have to go abroad. Wala eh. Walang tayo sa mga investors.

And another problem siguro, bakit wala masyadong nagtitawal sa ating mga investors?

Bureaucratic red tape, corruption, electricity, price of the rent, property, infrastructures.

And then maybe we have to change some legislation to accommodate these investors' needs, etc.

Are you... I mean, I know...

I know that there are other committees and other senators focused on those issues but ease of doing business on the investment front

are those issues that you're also invested in the sense that, you know, kasi kung may pagkikasa mo na yung OFW issues,

eventually you have to make the Philippine economy accommodate more and more people dito sa ating bansa para hindi sila mag-abroad under very difficult conditions.

Yes, yes. Kailangan talaga natin mga investors. We need investors. We need them. Pero unfortunately, with the present set up,

especially sa ating peace and order situation, in fact, on Monday, I'll be giving a privileged speech tungkol dito sa nangyaring rampant kidnapping.

So this is early December. Just to be clear, once this show is out. So in early December, you're going to have a privileged speech on...

Yes. Pertaining to this rampant kidnapping. Chinese, Filipino-Chinese and Chinaman, or if I can call it Chinaman.

Filipino-Chinese or people from China, citizens of China, from Pogo. They're being kidnapped.

And the latest of which is inside an exclusive subdivision, well-guarded, gated subdivision, do nangyari mismo yung kidnapping.

Can you imagine that? Kung hindi nga safe yung mga well-guarded subdivision, gated subdivision, nakapag-kidnap sila ng mga tao doon, e paano pa tayo?

Nowhere safe.

Yeah.

Nobody's safe anymore. And that has to be addressed. Now, pag narinig yan ang mga investors, whoa, wait a minute, why should I go there?

We should go somewhere else. We should go to Singapore, Vietnam.

Kasi banana republic to. Parang meron lang yung dating.

Exactly. E dyan, baka makidnap tayo. E kung saslog na subdivision, they are not protected, these people, e paano tayo mga investors?

So we have to take care of that problem. That's why I'm going to have a privileged speech and then later I'll file a resolution to investigate all these kidnappings

And based on my research and some information that I received, there are some, unfortunately, it's bad news. There are some people in the government institutions, na supposed to be these people are the ones who should protect the citizens, the people, from being kidnapped.

They're the ones who are part of the kidnappers.

Because may pera involved, no?

Members of the syndicate in kidnapping.

Senator, I mean, Senator, I mean, of course, you're not the first to raise this issue. This has been quite the POGO issue, concerns with criminality, concerns with tax evasion.

This was raised even before you became a senator. Are you in favor of like banning the POGOs altogether or anything like POGOs in the future?

I mean, banning the POGO altogether.

That's your stance?

That is my stance. Hopefully, next year, POGO will be gone. Because I'm the one who signed to ban POGO.

Forever. Not letting them come back anymore. Of course, but we have to give them at least a year or two.

A due process, transition of the issue.

And Senator, you're not worried about your safety and all of that when you take care of all? I mean, medyo controversial mga binabangan mo to, di ba? I mean, kung sindika itong target ng mga investigation, di ba?

If it's your time, your time.

That's your philosophy. Maybe we should have a separate podcast on, you know, yung resilience and all of that. Lalo yung mga kabataan, gusang-gusang.

Sir, can you give me a snippet before we go to the last part of this discussion? Like, where does this courage come from? I mean, how do you become courageous and, but not stupid?

I mean, if I could put it that way, like how do you find that balance? Kasi syempre, gusto mong, because you have to be around to help, right? Kung medyo hindi ka nag-iisip, then you're gone. Then you cannot help people. How do you find that balance, Senator? Of course, with best wishes.

Yeah, if you've seen so much suffering and you see the big inequality.

Napaka-taas ng gap. And then suffering from these poor people, the voiceless one, sinisipa-sipa, pinipitik-pitik, inaapi-api, niyuraki-yakan yung kanilang mga karapatan. That will make you angry.

And then yung mga nang-api, nandun sa itaas. And then especially people from the government who are supposed to help them and protect them, ito yung mga nang-api.

And ito yung mga nang-api, lumalapit sa iyo, umiiyak face to face. You talk to them every day.

Manginginig ka sa galit. Try sitting on my chair dyan sa TV5 and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Pag nakita mo, in tears, people are crying because they've been oppressed. And then they're nowhere to go. They're hungry.

Doon yung galit ko nagagaling. So naipon-ipon yan. So when I go out there, then that's when I, boom.

So it's that righteous anger. That sense of righteous anger. That there's so much injustice there.

Kung iisipin ko pa yung sarili ko, iba ka-delikado. Sino natin tutulong sa kanila?

I don't think of myself anymore. Because for me, I would rather think of these people who's been coming to me every day because they trusted me.

Because they know that when they come to me, I can do something about their problems, their solutions. And first of all, I wouldn't be Rafi Tulfo had it not been for them.

So it's just proper that I have to make sure na yung trust and confidence nila sa akin ay mapapalitan ko.

I remember talking to your brother, Erwin Tulfo. He was telling something about also how your parents brought you up, your mom, that sense of helping other people.

I mean, there's also this family values thing, no? Of social service, of giving back to the community since then.

Yeah. My mom, I can remember when I was in the elementary.

Nagkita ko yung mga asawa ng sundalo pupunta sa ma'am ko, mangihingi ng pera, manghiram. Marami kami doon. Pati kami, naghihirap din.

So sinasanla nung ma'am ko yung kanyang mga alahas para lamang maibigay doon sa mga asawa ng sundalo na humingi ng tulong. Bibigyan ng bigas, kakainin lang namin. Binibigay pa doon sa mga asawa ng sundalo na marami mga anak.

So I grew up with that kind of environment.

Yun yung ecosystem ng values. So naturally, you and your brothers have been carrying this forward.

Last point, of course, view from Manila. Usually, yung mga kasama namin dito, ambassadors, diplomats, etc. West Philippine Sea.

Pag-usapan natin yung West Philippine Sea, itong last part, siguro para sa akin, ito yung pinaka-exciting in a certain sense because, of course, I mean, hindi pa ako ganun katanda.

But in the whole time na around ako, parang napansin ko, ito yung time na nakikita natin lumalabas yung Filipino nationalism.

Dignity natin. Dapat lumaban tayo. Something like that. What is your take on this? I mean, for me, this is like a rebirth of the Filipino nation.

Kasi kahit sino kausap mo ngayon, may masabi na sa West Philippine Sea. It's almost a gut issue.

When 10 years ago, no one knew anything or two about the West Philippine Sea issue. What is your stance on this?

Di ba naka-high blood? Pero ako rin, high blood na high blood na. But I don't want to go to war with China. Kasi sino ba naman tayo? Of course, as much as possible, dapat iiran yung diplomacy.

You know, BBM did the right thing when he went to Hawaii and talked to the Americans. In the Pacific Command. Na para mag-escort din yung mga Philippine Coast Guard natin na magdala ng supply doon sa mga tropa natin sa Union Shoal.

Medyo nag-back off yung China. See, I've been saying this all along. Dapat tulad ng ibang bansa.

Nag-escort sa mga barko natin.