President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday with a litany of promises particularly on strengthening infrastructure, creating more jobs and livelihoods, providing better healthcare and services, ensuring food and water security, and improving support to education.
For infrastructure, Marcos promised to improve the internet services, power services, road and bridge infrastructure, airports and seaports, and strengthen the cyber defense.
For jobs and livelihoods, Marcos promised support to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens by doubling the discounts for these sectors.
He also promised increased wages and benefits and extended the service of job orders and contracts of service personnel to the government.
For education, the President vowed that Personal Accident Insurance and Special Hardship Allowance will be given to public school teachers, and the “debt tagging” will be removed so that it will not be an obstacle to the renewal of the teacher’s license.
The President also vowed to provide better healthcare services for Filipinos such as increasing PhilHealth benefits.
Marcos presented successes in peace and order, anti-corruption, and the development of the Bangsamoro Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The President also shared the progress of the bloodless war on dangerous drugs.
“Our bloodless war on dangerous drugs adheres and will continue to adhere to the established ‘8 Es’ of an effective anti-illegal drugs strategy. Extermination was never one of them,” he said.
He also instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to wind down and cease the operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Corporations (POGOs) by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte criticized Marcos ahead of his SONA.
In his podcast on July 21, the mayor said he did not expect much from Marcos on his SONA.
“Wala na siya’y maingon, mag revolve ra na sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), iyahang Quiboloy, unya foreign investment kay sige man siya ug laag, mao ra na. I cannot even imagine of creating an excuse for what is happening in our country,” the mayor said.
Duterte is hopeful that the President will come up with a real solution when it comes to peace and order, crime rate, inflation, corruption, poverty alleviation, and wage hikes.
“I hope, pero, I do not know. Because it’s only getting worse,” he said.
When asked about the projects that the Marcos administration implemented in Davao City, the mayor pointed to the unfinished repair roads being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Kanang sige nila’g pamungkag na dalan. Kanang mga dalan nga wala pa naguba gyud, nakit-an gyud nako mismo sa akong duha ka mata nga ilang gibungkag. Mao na iyang nahatag kanang ginabungkag sa DPWH na mga dalan nga puwede man unta na ibutang ng mga kuwartaha sa mga agianan nga wala pa’y semento,” he said.
