PBBM: Gov’t ‘steadily progressing’ toward medium-term targets

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

Marcos said the government would do its best to give Filipinos a comfortable life, promising to address poverty and bring down the prices of basic commodities, especially rice. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – The government is making headway to achieving its medium-term targets, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Monday, as he assured the public of his administration’s commitment to address pressing challenges.

“With the results that we have seen two years into this administration, we can claim that despite challenges, we are steadily progressing towards our targets in the medium-term,” Marcos said in his third State of the Nation Address delivered at the Batasan Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

Marcos said the government would do its best to give Filipinos a comfortable life, promising to address poverty and bring down the prices of basic commodities, especially rice.

He noted that the poverty rate declined to 15.5 percent in 2023, down from 18 percent recorded in 2021.

He also stressed that several programs aimed at stamping out hunger and malnutrition were yielding “inspiring results.”

Marcos ensured that the government would continue the implementation of the “Walang Gutom 2027” Program, the “First 1,000 Days” initiative, and the expanded School-based Feeding Program.

“Mga kababayan, sa lahat ng ginagawa nating ito at mga gagawin pa, mataas ang aking kumpiyansa na malalampasan din natin ang hamon na ating pinagdadaanan. Dahil ito ang pangunahing hinaing ng taumbayan, hindi tayo titigil sa paglalaban sa kahirapan (Fellow countrymen, with all that we are doing and we will do, I have high confidence that we will be able to overcome all the challenges that we are going through. Since this is the main grievance of our fellow countrymen, we will not stop fighting poverty),” he said.

Robust economy

Marcos also touted that the country is showing “healthy signs of post-pandemic resilience.”

He said the government is focused on promoting investment-led growth to sustain the country’s economic gains.

“Let us now turn to our economic status and our prospects, in spite of the headwinds that we have faced, we have stayed the course,” Marcos said.

“We have set in motion policies and programs to create an environment conducive for businesses to thrive, like reforms in the capital markets, and implementation of ‘green lanes’,” he added.

Infrastructure development

Marcos said his administration would also continue seeking the help of its partners from the private sector to ensure “aggressive” infrastructure development.

He made the statement, as he emphasized that the development of the infrastructure sector remains “sustained, strategic, and on schedule.”

“Aside from agriculture and disaster risk, our other vital sectors and pillars — such as education, health, energy, low-cost housing, transport, information technology — they all stand to benefit from our aggressive infrastructure development, as befitting our upper middle-income economic target,” he said.

Job opportunities

Marcos also promised to continue looking for ways to generate more jobs for Filipinos.

He made the vow, as he noted the significant increase in the employment rate, which was at 95.9 percent.

“Underemployment too has decreased from 11.7 percent in May of 2023 to 9.9 percent today, which is our lowest since 2005. Notably, we also saw an increase in middle-skilled employment, wage and salaried employment, and full- time jobs,” Marcos said.

Marcos said technical-vocational education and training (TVET), which would be incorporated in the senior high school curriculum, would also be key to capacitating Filipinos and boosting their employability.

“Advanced learning systems and technologies, in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, shall be made available in TVET Innovation Centers nationwide. Highly technical and professional-level training courses will soon be launched, notably in cybersecurity and in the creative industries,” he said.

Peace and order

Marcos also expressed elation over the “improved” peace and order situation in the country, saying that it is an “essential ingredient of genuine prosperity and social developments.”

He said the police, military, and Coast Guard are undergoing continuous capacity-building and asset-upgrading to make sure that they are “better able to preserve the peace and defend our territory.”

“This is the path that we choose to take. Despite difficulties, despite our diversity and differences as a people, we are joined together by a unique history, and have constantly invested our energies and resources in strengthening the pillars of peaceful,” Marcos said.

“We have noted an overall decrease in crime rate and an improvement in crime solution efficiency. But this is not enough. Our law enforcers need to continue to earn the trust of our people,” he added.