Pay attention to the exciting numbers of the second SONA

After just a year in office, it is easy to discredit President Bongbong Marcos on his 85-minute SONA. But the seeming “silence” of the common masa, to me, is clear indication that today, the citizenry is still studying and feeling his moves, and not likely jump to sweeping generalizations. But watching and listening to his entire speech, what came evident to everyone was his repeated mentions of people numbers, maybe as his way of explaining his Bagong Pilipinas.

Among those very telling numbers are in housing, when he mentioned that his Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing program or 4-PH already broke ground in 25 locations nationwide and this will increase to more than a hundred locations. All in all, this will provide housing for more than 1 MILLION people.

In education, more than 2 million of the 4.1 million enrolled college students were beneficiaries of the country’s free college education under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program.

In food, more than 1.8 million families were serviced by more than 7,000 Kadiwa centers nationwide with cheap agricultural produce that included rice at reportedly P25 per kilo. Sales amounted to P700-M while providing jobs to 30,000 cooperatives. And maybe for the first time, a nationwide Geo-Agri Map connecting all agricultural lands have been created, building additional 600 kilometers of farm to market roads to connect farmers to consumer and eliminate the middlemen. He further reiterated that the days of food smugglers, hoarders and price manipulators are now numbered.

Earlier, BBM signed RA 11953 or the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Law that makes 610,054 farmer beneficiaries of CARP, who are tillers of 1.173 M hectares of awarded land debt-free. They will no longer pay their P57.56-B in arrears and go back to farming and improve on our nation’s food productivity.  PBBM says for the first three months of this year, agriculture increased by 2.2 percent.

On jobs, as of May this year, PBBM says our employment rate rose to 95.7 percent, or 48.26 million people. During the pandemic, employment went as low as 82 percent.  On overseas employment, he said we are witnessing a rise in overseas deployment since 2022, up by 62 percent.  I liked the way PBBM mentioned the resolution of unpaid claims of our workers in Saudi Arabia.  He said, “the unpaid salaries and other related claims of some 14,000 OFWs, who have been put out of work during the pandemic, are being processed. The Crown Prince himself personally committed to me that the unpaid claims of Filipino workers would be paid”. Around 70,000 more Filipinos have been deployed in that country, he added.

More overseas jobs are available as Singapore, Austria, and the province of Alberta in Canada signed agreements to explore bilateral labor cooperation with the Philippines in the areas of healthcare, tourism, hospitality, engineering, construction, and information technology.

Moreover, the deployment of more than 50,000 Filipino seafarers aboard EU vessels, has also been assured after challenges on global standards.  The President himself has pushed for Congress passage of the Blue Economy Law, which will develop further our maritime leadership all over the world.

On Health, PBBM declared that 93 percent of all Filipinos are now covered by the new Philhealth which also established more than 2,000 Konsulta centers nationwide. Part of the package are free twenty-one (21) maintenance medicines together with thirteen (13) laboratory services. Free dialysis treatment is now 156 days increased from the former ninety (90 days).

Drug prices of essential medicines went down as much as 90 percent to the lowest 40 percent because of strategic VAT exemption, and these include Cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and mental illness.

On direct financial help to millions of distressed families, PBBM says not only DSWD, also DO-LE, DepEd, TESDA, and CHED are now very active. In addition, Assistance to individuals in crisis (AICS), TUPAD, TVET for Social Equity, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, and Cash-for-Work for PWDS have increased including “integrated Livelihood program-Kabuhayan.

On Build, Build More, PBBM says infrastructure spending will be 5 to 6 percent of GDP, that is P9 trillion in six years or double that of former President Duterte’s Build, Build Build ‘s P4.5 T. This includes shortening travel from Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just 9 hours with the 1,200 kilometers Luzon Spine Expressway Network and 12 Mega bridges totaling 90 kilometers, Bataan /Cavite interlink bridge to name a few.

These are just some of the SONA highlights that I think every Filipino must know out of that Presidential report. While there are many other topics to explain, what we should all do is watch closely how this administration will implement his plans. So far, the numbers and the prospects are good. We’ll see how he will next report out on his third SONA.

All eyes on Congress delivering laws to improve agriculture and food security

After the President’s marching orders, it will be interesting to see how the 312- member- House of Representatives and the 24-man Senate will address the issues, specifically in agriculture. The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory council (LEDAC) stressed the need to amend the Fisheries code, Cooperative code and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling act.

For his part, House Speaker Martin Romualdez pushed for redoubling efforts to stop the smuggling of rice, sugar, and onions, which harm farmers’ competitiveness and disrupts the agricultural value”.  “We will increase the existing strategic agriculture and fisheries development zones,” to reinforce the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. “Laws will be enacted upgrading and modernizing the industry thru a strengthened Public Private partnership program.

He took pride in the achievements the House made during the First Regular Session of Congress, for which he expressed his deep gratitude to his colleagues. “The First Regular Session’s accomplishments bear testament to our collective will and determination. We have raised the standards, and the expectations are high. Yet, we are not daunted. We are inspired. We are not simply lawmakers but nation-builders and champions of the people,” he said.

High words and promises we always hear but honestly, our politicians should really act fast now and not waste anymore our peoples’ hard-earned tax money. Congressmen and Senators are servants of the people and right now, agriculture and food security are daunting issues that they are mandated to solve. We will continue our vigilance in criticizing their misdeeds but also praise them, if necessary, when they are doing good things for our nation.