After 1st 100 days, PBBM looks forward to next 5 years, 9 months

FILE: Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. was sworn in as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines on Thursday (June 30, 2022). (Photo by Rey Baniquet | Presidential Photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. believes his administration has made several accomplishments in his first 100 days in office, but noted that Filipinos can expect more in the coming five years and nine months.

Marcos made this statement in a video titled “RECAP: The Marcos Administration’s First 100 Days” uploaded in his official YouTube account. The video was directed by filmmaker Paul Soriano.

In the over eight-minute video, the President enumerated various efforts being done by his administration to revive the economy, maintain peace and order, ensure sufficient food supply, improve the education sector, protect overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) welfare, upgrade the transport system, and strengthen the healthcare system as the country reels from the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising inflation.

“Sa akin, ang mabigat na problema ay hindi hadlang para mapatupad ang ating sama-samang pagbangon (For me, a difficult problem is not an obstacle to our efforts to rise together),” he said.

Marcos touted agreements signed and investment pledges secured during his state visits to Indonesia and Singapore and working visit to the United States.

His administration secured around PHP804.78 billion (USD14.36 billion) worth of investment pledges in inaugural state visits to Indonesia and Singapore.

It also secured a total of 10 letters of intent and 12 memoranda of understanding from 22 Indonesian and Singaporean investors who are eyeing to invest in the sectors of renewable energy, data centers, e-commerce, broadband technology, startups, government housing, and agriculture.

Likewise, his working visit to the US yielded business deals and commitments with an estimated investment value of USD3.9 billion with job opportunities for 112,285 Filipinos.

In the recap video, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the country’s “first ever” medium-term fiscal framework aims to reduce fiscal deficit, promote fiscal sustainability, and enable robust economic growth.

“The strong demand for our first international bond offering under the Marcos administration demonstrates investor confidence in the new government and its six year plan for economic transformation,” Diokno said.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. cited ongoing efforts to rid the police force of erring cops and scalawags and sustain the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or ECLIP for former rebels.

He also brought up the newly launched anti-drug campaign, “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (Cherish Life, Say no to Drugs) or BIDA”, which focuses on rehabilitation and socio-economic development.

Marcos, who heads the Department of Agriculture, shared ongoing efforts being done to ensure food sufficiency, affordable food, and enough support for farmers and fisherfolk.

Among these are the signing of Executive Order No. 4 which imposes a one-year moratorium on the payment and interest of land amortization and local government units’ cooperation to cross boundaries and balance importation versus local production.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, meanwhile, trumpeted her office’s “PagbaBAGo” initiative which has so far distributed school supplies and health kits to over 3,000 students nationwide.

“The PagbaBAGo campaign aims to underscore the importance of education and responsible parenthood to our fellow Filipinos,” she said.

Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary for Pre-employment Services Levinson Alcantara said over 110,000 Filipinos have been given overseas employment in the Marcos administration’s first 100 days.

Likewise, Migrant Workers Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment Hans Leo Cacdac said the department launched the OFW Children’s Circle to support OFWs’ kids while Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople underscored how the One Repatriation Command Center has so far provided assistance or helped repatriated over 5,000 OFWs.

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista cited Marcos’ decision to extend the “Libreng Sakay” program that funds free rides for commuters along the Edsa Carousel Route until December 2022 as among his department’s achievements.

Others were the ceremonial signing of the contracts for the South Commuter Railway Project, reopening 190 routes used by 12,555 authorized buses and jeepneys, groundbreaking rites for the construction of the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations of the Metro Manila Subway Project, and the opening of the new passenger terminal building Clark International Airport.

In the health sector, the recap video also highlighted the Marcos administration’s achievement in reaching its booster coverage target of vaccinating more than five million individuals in its first 100 days.

“Dapat walang problema ang pamilya pag may nagkasakit, dagdag na ospital, mas murang gamot sa anumang sakit, nurses na mataas ang suweldo, PhilHealth [Philippine Health Insurance Corporation] na mapagkakatiwalaan sa buong Pilipinas – – ito ang pangarap natin (Families who get sick should not have problems, more hospitals, cheaper medicine for all illnesses, higher salaries for nurses, a trustworthy PhilHealth – – these are our dreams),” Marcos said.

Marcos, in closing, acknowledged that there were still many things to accomplish under his administration.

“Marami pa tayong mga pira-pirasong pangarap na binibigyan ng tutok at katuparan. Masisipag at magagaling ang ating mga kasama sa pamahalaan (We still have many fragmented dreams that are being given focus and fulfillment. Our colleagues in the government are hardworking and good),” he said.

“Dalawang 2,400 oras pa lang ang nakakalipas. Umasa kayo na sa darating na 2,090 araw, sa biyaya ng Diyos, tamang pamamalakad at sama-sama nating pagbabanat ng buto, sama-sama tayong babangon muli (Only 2,400 hours had passed. We hope that in the coming 2,090 days, with God’s grace, proper management, and collective hardwork, we will all rise together again),” he added.