[Delivered at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on July 24, 2023]
Vice President Sara Z. Duterte;
Former Presidents Joseph Ejercito
Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Rodrigo Roa Duterte;
Senate President Juan Miguel
Zubiri and the Honorable Members of the Senate;
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin
Romualdez and the Honorable Members of the House of Representatives;
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo
and the Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court;
His Excellency, Most Reverend
Charles John Brown and the esteemed members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Executive Secretary Lucas P.
Bersamin and the members of the Cabinet;
First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos;
Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos;
Other distinguished guests;
Mga minamahal kong kababayan;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.
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One year ago today, I stood here before you,
setting forth the plans that we have to improve our economy, bring jobs to our
people, improve the ease of doing business, recalibrate our educational system
to adapt to the new economy, lower and rationalize energy costs, boost
agricultural production, enhance healthcare, and continue social programs for
the poor and the vulnerable.
Let me now report to the people
on the successes that we can now lay
claim to, and also the challenges that we continue to face.
Last year, we emphasized certain
strong headwinds that were confronting us along with the rest of the world in
our post-pandemic economic recovery.
The biggest problem that we
encountered was inflation.
Maraming kaganapan sa mundo ang
nakapag-pagulo sa maayos na takbo ng pandaigdigang merkado. Bukod sa digmaan sa
Ukraine, naroon ang patuloy na epekto ng pandemya. Pinalala pa ito ng
pagbabawas ng produksyon ng mga bansang pinag-kukuhanan natin ng langis. Nang
tumaas ang presyo nito, nagsunuran na rin ang presyo ng iba’t ibang
bilihin—gasolina, kuryente, at pagkain.
Ramdam sa buong daigdig, pati na sa Pilipinas,
ang naging pagtaas ng mga presyo ng bilihin noong mga nakalipas na buwan.
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Sinuri nating mabuti ang sitwasyon. Sa tulong
ng ating mga ekonomista, nakapag-balangkas tayo ng mga polisiya na magsisilbing
pundasyon ng ating ekonomiya sa mga susunod na taon. Ito ay nakasaad sa ating
Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, na sinuportahan ng ating Kongreso.
Kasabay nito ay ang paglu-lunsad ng mga
istratehiya na magpapalakas sa kakayahan ng ating mga kababayan at mga sektor
ng ating ekonomiya.
Nakakita tayo ng magagandang resulta.
While the global prospects were
bleak, our economy posted a 7.6 percent growth in 2022—our highest growth rate
in 46 years. For the first quarter of the year, our growth registered at 6.4
percent. It remains within our target of 6 to 7 percent for 2023. We are still
considered to be among the fastest-growing economies in the Asian region and
the world. It is a testament to our strong macroeconomic fundamentals.
Our financial system, the nerve center of our
economy, remains strong and stable. Banks, the transmission arms of our
monetary policy, have strong capital and liquidity positions.
Stimulated by the relaxation of pandemic
restrictions, transactions once again flourished—alongside the booming
e-commerce that was undeterred by the pandemic. In 2022, the digital economy
contributed
2 trillion pesos, equivalent to
9.4 percent of our GDP. The economy is revived and rejuvenated, backstopped by
a favorable enabling environment and the strong rule of law.
This year, the World Bank projects a 6 percent
overall growth rate, well within the range of our target for the year. This is
anchored on strong local demand, underpinned by consumer spending, and draws
strength from the BPO industry, steady flow of remittances, and the continuing
jobs recovery.
Inflation rate is moving in the right
direction. From 8.7 percent in January, our inflation has continued to ease up
in all regions, settling at 5.4 percent this June. What this means is that in
spite of all the difficulties, we are transforming the economy. We are
stabilizing the prices of all critical commodities.
According to the Bangko Sentral, inflation is
expected to ease further by the close of the year, and projected at 2.9 percent
by 2024.
On matters of the economy, there are many
things over which we have no control. But over those where we do have control,
we are doing everything we can.
Puspusan ang ating ginagawa upang
pataasin ang produksyon ng ating ekonomiya. Pinapalago natin ang mga
industriya. Dinadag-dagan natin ang mga imprastraktura, upang mas mapabilis ang
daloy ng mga produkto at serbisyo. Higit sa lahat, pinapalakas natin ang
kakayahan ng mga mamamayan upang mapaganda nila ang kanilang pamumuhay. Ito ang
puno’t dulo ng ating Philippine Development Plan.
Investments in public infrastructure and in
the capacity of our people—through food, education, health, jobs, and social
protection—remain our top priority. For this year, economic and social services
were allocated almost 70% of the national budget.
Higher revenue collections will be critical in
our bid to bolster public investments. Under our fiscal framework, we envision
our tax and revenue efforts to further increase, to up to 16.9 percent and 17.3
percent by 2028.
Revenue generation has improved this past
year. From January to May, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has posted record
collections, amounting to 1.05 trillion pesos, an increase of almost 10 percent
over the last year. For its part, the Bureau of Customs has also increased its
collection by 7.4 percent for the first seven months of 2023, amounting to 476
billion pesos. Since July 2022, we have seen increased revenues from PAGCOR of
47.9 percent, and from the PCSO of
20 percent.
We therefore seek once again the continued
support of Congress to enact into law the policies and reforms under our fiscal
framework.
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Sa mga nakalipas na buwan, nakita natin ang
pagbaba ng presyo ng bilihin sa iba’t ibang mga sektor.
Napatunayan natin na kayang maipa-baba ang
presyo ng bigas, karne, isda, gulay, at asukal.
Malaking tulong ang mga KADIWA stores, na
ating muling binuhay at inilunsad. Ang layunin ng KADIWA ay pag-ugnayin ang
magsasaka at ang mamimili. Walang iba pang namamagitan. Walang dagdag na gastos
at patong. Maganda ang kita ng magsasaka. Nakaka-tipid din ang ma-mimili.
Sa mahigit pitong libong KADIWA na idinaos sa
buong Pilipinas, 1.8 milyon na mga pamilya ang nakinabang sa mababang presyo ng
bilihin. Sa kabuuan, halos pitong-daang milyon piso ang naging benta ng mga
ito, na nakapagbigay ng hanapbuhay sa mga miyembro ng mahigit tatlong libong
mga kooperatiba at samahan.
Maganda ang nakita nating resulta, kaya
papalawigin pa natin ang KADIWA sa buong bansa. Kamakailan lamang ay
nagsanib-puwersa ang mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan upang lalo pang patibayin ang
KADIWA. Katuwang natin dito ang buong sektor ng agrikultura at lokal na
pamahalaan.
Our aim is to boost our local agricultural
production—through consolidation, modernization, mechanization, and improvement
of value chains—augmented by timely and calibrated importation, as needed.
Nakita nating tumaas nang 2.2 percent ang
sektor ng agrikultura sa unang tatlong buwan pa lang ng taong ito.
In our quest for food security, our methods
are now more guided by science and the balance of nature, so that production is
both sustainable and responsible, benefiting both this and future generations.
Our Fisheries Code must be revisited to
incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing
areas. This approach will protect both the interests of our fisherfolk and our
fisheries and aquatic resources.
To this end, we will seek the support of
Congress to amend the Code to guarantee sustainable development of our
fisheries sector in harmony with environmental balance.
Ipinag-bubuklod natin ang mga magsasaka, sa
pama-magitan ng farm and
fisheries clustering at mga livestock multiplier farms. Tatlong daang clusters
na ang ating natukoy, na binubuo ng halos siyam na raang kooperatiba, at may
lawak na mahigit dalawang-daang libong ektarya ng bukirin.
Upang mas mapabilis at mapadali ang pagbuo ng
kooperatiba, kakailanganin natin ang suporta ng Kongreso na maamyendahan ang
Cooperative Code.
Sa pamamagitan nito, unti-unting lalakas ang
kanilang produksyon at puwersa sa merkado. Totoo ang kasabihan: mas malakas
kung sama-sama!
Pinapalawak natin ang kanilang kaalaman sa
makabagong mga teknolohiya at pamamaraan. Isa na rito ang paggamit ng
bio-fertilizers, na gawa sa Pilipinas at subok din at maa-asahan. Sa balanced
fertilizer strategy, gaganda ang ani ng mga magsasaka. Hindi na nila kailangan
pang umasa sa mas mahal at imported na fertilizer.
Bilang tulong sa mga magsasaka, namigay ang
pamahalaan ng mahigit dalawampu’t walong libong mga makabagong makinarya at mga
kagamitan sa iba’t ibang dako ng Pilipinas.
Sa ilalim ng iba’t ibang mga programa ng
Kagawaran ng Agrikultura, namigay ang pamahalaan ng mahigit na limampung
milyong binhi ng palay, mahigit isang milyong binhi ng mais, at sari-saring mga
binhi ng gulay. Nagpamigay tayo ng mahigit isandaang libong binhi ng niyog at
nagpatanim sa halos sampunlibong ektarya ng lupa sa buong bansa.
Lahat ng mga binhing ito ay makabago, hybrid,
at mataas na kalidad.
Sa naging pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina at
pataba, nagdala ng kaunting ginhawa ang mga fuel at fertilizer discount
vouchers na ating pinamigay sa mga nahirapang magsasaka. Ang mga natanggap
nating donasyon na pataba mula sa Tsina, ipinamigay na rin natin agad sa
kanila.
Isa sa mga dahilan ng pagtaas ng presyo ay ang
mga smugglers, hoarders at nagmamanipula ng presyo ng produktong agrikultural.
Hinahabol at ihahabla natin sila. Sadyang hindi tama ang kanilang gawain, at
hindi rin ito tugma sa ating magandang layunin. Pandaraya ang kanilang
ginagawa. Napapahamak hindi lamang ang mga magsasaka, kundi tayo na ring mga
ma-mimili. Kaya hindi natin papayagan ang ganitong kalakaran. Bilang na ang mga
araw ng mga smugglers at hoarders na ‘yan.
Mahalaga ang imprastraktura para masuportahan
ang may labing-apat na milyong ektarya ng sakahan. Inayos natin ang Geo-Agri
map ng mga farm-to-market roads ng buong bansa, upang maidugtong mabuti ang mga
sakahan sa mga pamilihan. Alinsunod dito, karagdagang anim na raang kilometro
ng mga FMRs ang ating nilatag sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa.
Binigyan din natin ng patubig ang mahigit na
apatnapu’t siyam na libong ektarya ng bukirin sa buong Pilipinas.
Nagpagawa tayo ng halos apat na libong mga
karagdagang fabrication labs, production at cold storage facilities na
magagamit ng lahat. Sa tulong ng Kongreso, nakapag-patayo tayo ng dalawampu’t
apat na multi-species hatcheries upang maparami ang produksyon ng mga isda.
Nakabantay tayo sa anumang banta ng mga sakit
at peste na maa-aring dumapo sa mga pananim at alagang hayop. Malapit na tayong
magkaroon ng mga epektibong gamot at bakuna laban sa mga ito. Samantala,
pinapalakas natin ang bio-security levels ng mga alagang hayop bilang panlaban
sa mga sakit.
Tayo rin ay naghahanda para sa El Niño na
nagbabadyang tumama sa mga darating na buwan. Nagsimula na tayong maghanda ng
mga buffer stocks at mga kagamitang patubig. Kung kinakailangan, magsasagawa pa
tayo ng cloud-seeding upang makapagdala ng ulan. Kasabay ng lahat ng ito, hinihimok
din natin ang ating sambayanan na magtipid ng tubig para sa malawakang
paghahanda sa banta ng tagtuyot.
Tulad ng ating ipinangako, ipinagpa-patuloy
natin ang repormang pan-sakahan. Mahalagang haligi ito ng sektor ng agrikultura
na ating inaayos. Nitong nakalipas na taon, mahigit pitumpong-libong titulo ng
lupa ang ginawad sa mga benepisyaryo ng repormang agraryo.
Tamang-tama ang ating pagpapa-tigil ng mga
bayarin ng mga benepisyaryo, sa ilalim ng ating nilagdaang EO No. 4. Isang taon
mula noong aking unang SONA, naisabatas na ang bagong Agrarian Emancipation
Act. Dahil dito, ang 57 bilyong pisong utang na pinapasan ng mahigit anim na
raang libong benepisyaryo ay tuluyan nang nabura.
Sa ngalan ng mga magsasakang ito at kanilang
mga pamilya, maraming salamat muli sa ating mga mambabatas.
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Ang tubig ay kasing-halaga rin ng pagkain.
Kailangan nating tiyakin na may sapat at malinis na tubig para sa lahat at sa
mga susunod na salinlahi. Kasama na rito ang tubig na ginagamit natin para sa
mga sakahan.
Considering its fundamental importance, water
security deserves our special focus. Our efforts must not be scattershot, but
rather, cohesive, centralized, and systematic.
Given that urgency, we have created the Water
Resources Management Office to specifically handle the delicate job involving
this most precious resource. Nakikipag-ugnayan tayo sa Kongreso upang maipasa
ang batas para sa pagbuo ng isang Department of Water Resource Management.
This year, we have allocated 14.6 billion
pesos for water supply projects, which will benefit communities all over the
country. Recently, the water supply of NCR and Rizal received a significant
boost from the first phase of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project. The water
supply will increase as the Project enters the second phase.
We have installed six thousand
rainwater collection systems across the country, in preparation for the looming
dry spell brought about by El Niño.
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One of the keys to continuing
economic growth is infrastructure development. So, we will build better, and
more. Our 8.3-trillion peso “Build Better More” Program is currently in
progress and being vigorously implemented.
Ang buong bansa ay maki-kinabang sa isandaan
at siyamnapu’t apat na proyekto sa ilalim ng Programang ito.
Hindi lamang natin ipinag-papatuloy ang mga
nasimulan nang mga proyekto. Lalo pa nating pina-palawak. Kaya naman, ang
isangdaan at dalawampu’t tatlong proyekto dito sa ating Build-Better-More
program ay bago.
The flagship projects cover investments in the
areas of physical connectivity, water resources, agriculture, health, digital
connectivity, and energy. Physical connectivity infrastructure—such as roads,
bridges, seaports, airports, and mass transport—accounts for 83 percent of the
program. Our infrastructure spending will be at 5 to 6 percent of our GDP.
The underlying logic to our infrastructure
development is economic efficiency. We are opening up all gateways to mobilize
goods and services at less cost and in less time, and ultimately, to drive the
economy.
Our road network plans must link not only our
3 major islands, but all prospective sites of economic development.
The 1,200-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway
Network Program will effectively connect Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just
9 hours of travel.
Under the Mega-Bridge Program, 12 bridges
totaling 90 kilometers will be constructed, connecting islands and areas
separated by waters. The Program notably includes the Bataan-Cavite Interlink
Bridge and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, each spanning 32
kilometers, and the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge.
As of June this year, we have constructed,
maintained, and upgraded more than 4,000 kilometers of roads and around 500
bridges across the country. Crucial airport and port development projects
across the country have been completed, including Cebu’s Pier 88 smart port,
and the new passenger terminal buildings of Clark Airport and the Port of
Calapan.
We initiated several railway projects, with a
total length of more than 1,000 kilometers. Notably, the southern leg of the
North-South Commuter Railway System is now in full swing. In a few years,
travel from Pampanga to Laguna will be reduced from 4 hours to just 2.
Inter-modal connectivity will be
a primary consideration. Roads, bridges and mass transport systems will be
interconnected. This network will provide access and passage to vital and
bustling economic markets, such as agriculture hubs, tourism sites, and key
business districts.
For strategic financing, some of
the nation’s high-priority projects can now look to the newly established
Maharlika Investment Fund, without the added debt burden.
In pooling a small fraction of the
considerable but underutilized government funds, the Maharlika Fund shall be
used to make high-impact and profitable investments, such as the
Build-Better-More program. The gains from the Fund shall be reinvested into the
country’s economic well-being.
To ensure sound financial management, a group
of internationally recognized economic managers shall oversee the operations of
the Fund, guided by principles of transparency and accountability. This
guarantees that investment decisions will be based on financial considerations
alone, absent any political influence.
The funds for the social security and public
health insurance of our people shall remain intact and separate.
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Owing to favorable market conditions, the
price of crude oil has stabilized. Since last year, gasoline and diesel prices
have gone down by 18 to 29 percent, respectively.
We have built 8 new additional power plants.
This brings to 17 the total number of power generation facilities that have
been switched on across the country since last year, substantially increasing
our energy production by 1,174 megawatts.
Alongside power generation, we are also as
relentless in pursuing total electrification. Since my assumption into office,
almost half a million homes have been given access to electricity. We will
spare no effort to achieve full household-electrification by the end of my
term. 100%-electrification is within our reach.
Renewable energy is the way forward. We are
aggressively promoting renewables, so that it provides a 35 percent share in
the power mix by 2030, and then on to 50 percent by 2040. To accelerate the
realization of this green energy goal, we have opened renewable energy projects
to foreign investments.
Since last year, an additional 126 renewable
energy contracts with potential capacity of 31,000 megawatts have been awarded.
To date, we have over a thousand active projects spread all over the country.
299 of these are solar; 187 are wind; 436 hydroelectric; 58 biomass, 36
geothermal; and 9 are ocean powered.
The Malampaya project has been a boon to our
country, energizing 20 percent of Luzon. The renewal of the contract guarantees
continued revenues and energy production for another 15 years. Aside from
Malampaya, we will also push for more gas exploration in other parts of the
country.
The national government has partnered with the
BARMM in regard to energy exploration, development, and utilization within its
territorial jurisdiction. We therefore expect to see renewed investor interest
in its promising sites.
We finally have a Unified National Grid, with
the interconnection of the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids. The “One Grid,
One Market” will enable more efficient transfers and more competitive pricing
of electricity throughout the country.
However, 68 grid connection
projects are much delayed, according to the ERC’s count. We are conducting a
performance review of our private concessionaire, the National Grid Corporation
of the Philippines. We look to NGCP to complete all of its deliverables,
starting with the vital Mindanao-Visayas and the Cebu-Negros-Panay
interconnections.
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Habang pinapabuti natin ang lagay ng
ekonomiya, pinapalakas din natin ang kakayahan ng Pilipino. Ito ay sa
pama-magitan ng maha-halagang armas ng edukasyon, magandang kalusugan, at
trabaho. Malaking bahagi ng pondo ng pamahalaan ay inilaan natin para sa mga
ito.
Sa ating pagtahak sa kaunlaran, walang
mama-mayang Pilipino ang maiiwanan. Para sa atin, ang bawat buhay ay
mahalaga—anuman ang edad, kasarian, pangkat, relihiyon, o pisikal na kundisyon.
Sila ay kukup-kupin at tutulungan.
Naglaan tayo ng sapat na pondo para sa
pag-lingap sa mga lubos na nanga-ngailangan. Layunin natin na sila ay
makabangon, mabigyan ng sapat na kakayahan, at maging produktibo.
Hindi lamang DSWD, kundi pati ang DO-LE,
DepEd, TESDA, at CHED, ay tumutulong sa ating mga kababayang nanga-ngailangan.
Ang AICS, TUPAD, TVET for Social Equity, Social Pension for Indigent Senior
Citizens, at ang Cash-for-Work para sa mga PWDs ay ilan lamang sa mga maha-halagang
programa ng pamahalaan para sa kanila. Nariyan din ang Integrated Livelihood
Program-Kabuhayan upang matulungan ang mga maliliit na negosyo.
We are inclusive in our pursuit of social
protection. The pension of the military and uniformed personnel is as
important, urgent, and humanitarian as that of all other civilian Filipino
employees. Efforts are underway to make it fully functional and financially
sustainable. We are working closely with Congress to ease the transition from
the old system to the new one, so as to be able to guarantee that no effects
are felt by those in the uniformed services.
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Nagsisimula ang lahat sa edukasyon. Ito ay
para palakasin ang isip at kakayahan ng bawat Pilipino.
Ang ating butihing Bise-Presidente, na Kalihim
din ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon, ay tumutulong upang tiyakin na ang bawat batang
Pilipino ay mabibigyan ng nara-rapat at kalidad na edukasyon.
We have renewed hope in giving the best to our
next batches of students, especially the 28.4 million learners who returned to
school this year. Learning recovery will be at the forefront of our education
agenda.
The MATATAG Agenda for basic education has
been launched, focusing on relevance of curriculum, rapid and responsive
delivery, and the welfare of both learners and teachers.
We are augmenting our school workforce.
90 percent of the newly created
teaching positions have been filled, while additional administrative personnel
have been hired to unburden the teachers.
Taking to heart the lessons of
the pandemic, alternative delivery modes and blended learning methodologies
have been adopted to ensure unhampered learning. Additional social safety nets,
such as school-based feeding programs, are also being implemented.
Learners will be made more resilient. Our
public schools and facilities are being increased and fortified.
The shortage of classrooms and facilities is
being addressed. Aside from new constructions, schools and facilities are being
retrofitted to become ready for the future—ready for hybrid and high-tech
learning, and also climate-ready and disaster-proof. Through the DepEd
Partnership Assistance Portal, private sector partners continue their
assistance in the rehabilitation and improvement of schools, as part of their
corporate social responsibility programs.
We are recalibrating the K to 10 curriculum to
ensure that it is always relevant, responsive, and at par with international
standards. Literacy and numeracy skills are to be strengthened. The virtue of
good citizenship and sense of community are also integrated in our curriculum.
We continue to exhaust all efforts to keep our
young people away from the sinister influences in the dark corners of society.
We are making available to them their participation in formal schooling,
alternative learning, non-diploma courses, or in technical-vocational education
and training (TVET).
TVET continues to prove itself to be an
empowering educational intervention. There are many examples of how its
graduates have gone on to secure competitive technical jobs.
Since last year, more than a
million Filipinos graduated from TVET, one-third of whom were TESDA scholars.
More and more of our higher
education institutions (HEIs) have reached world-class status. This year, 52
Philippine HEIs have been included in the World Universities Rankings, compared
to just 15 last year.
We will not let a student’s financial
constraints be a hindrance to education. We have activated social safety nets,
such as skills development training and youth employment programs. Tertiary
education in state universities and colleges will remain free for our qualified
students.
Last year, out of the 4.1 million enrolled
college students, almost 50 percent were beneficiaries of the country’s free
higher education under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
program.
Deserving and talented students without the
financial capacity to attend school, will not be left behind in our education
agenda.
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A culture of innovation, working hand-in-glove
with a culture of entrepreneurship, must be fostered. This is
“FILIPINNOVATION”. Science and technology, especially R&D, will be at its
foundation.
The DOST leads the development of our
capabilities in science, technology, and innovation.
Science and technology-related
scholarships are made available for the talented and technically-gifted
students, from high school all the way to graduate school.
To address the challenge of staying at the
cutting-edge of technology, 44 renowned Filipino scientists in diverse areas of
expertise have returned home under the Balik-Scientist Program. They will
undertake research in various priority fields and will be supported by upgraded
facilities and R&D funding.
The Philippines has launched 2
additional satellites into space. Together with the first satellite, they will
track weather, predict storms, evaluate soil and water supply, analyze shifts
in population, and be used for traffic management, geo-hazard mapping and risk
assessment, including security and defense.
Science, technology and
innovation will drive the quality and competitiveness of our workforce, as well
as our manufacturing, export, creative, and service industries, in existing
markets and in new ones waiting to be explored.
The bane of the mismatch between jobs and
skills among our workforce is being rectified through strengthened
government-industry-labor-academe partnerships, and continuous reskilling and
upskilling training programs.
For our seafarers to continue to excel, maritime
education in the Philippines has been strengthened. This will progress and
solidify our country’s position as a “global maritime hub”, through the steady
supply of competent Filipino seafarers to foreign merchant marine vessels.
The question about the European Union’s
recognition of the standards of training of Filipino seafarers has, after 17
years, finally been resolved. This development now effectively maintains the
Filipino seafarer’s distinct competitive advantage in the global shipping labor
market.
To address the current shortage of healthcare
professionals in our country, and to help us achieve our goal of universal
healthcare, we are greatly expanding our medical and nursing education
programs. We will push the envelope further. We are helping nursing graduates
hurdle their board exams, so that they will obtain their licenses and join our
pool of healthcare professionals.
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Ang kalusugan ang ikalawang armas: para sa
lakas ng panga-ngatawan ng bawat Pilipino. Isinu-sulong nating muli ang
kalusugan ng Pilipino.
We are now refocusing our health priorities,
applying the lessons learnt from the pandemic and addressing the weaknesses
that it has exposed.
Healthier communities and lifestyles are our
advocacy.
We have launched convergent programs to
address hunger and nutrition-related issues among our people, especially the
children, like stunting and wasting. Last week, we introduced the pilot Food
Stamp Program (FSP), which seeks to supply the nutrition needs of the million
most food-poor Filipinos.
The FSP shall complement our nutrition
continuity programs, such as the First 1,000 Days program that ensures
nourishment for the first three years of the child’s life. The Supplemental
Feeding Program is for our children attending daycare centers. The K-to-6
Program will feed Kindergarten to Grade 6 public school students, who are
suffering from severe wasting.
We are catching up on the routine
vaccinations of our children. As of this year, more than 80 percent of our
eligible children have been vaccinated against measles, rubella, and polio.
Nananawagan ako sa lahat ng mga magulang na
kumpletuhin ang mga bakuna ng kanilang mga anak, at magtungo sa pinaka-malapit
na health center para sa mga libreng bakuna.
The whole of society must exert efforts to
suppress the alarming rise of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. To stem the tide, the
strategic plan is to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, and ample testing
sites and medications.
Our healthcare system is
undergoing structural enhancements.
Public health facilities are
being increased, both in number and in capability. Last year, more than 3,400
projects were completed. To improve capacity for specialized medical treatment,
specialty centers in various fields are being established and integrated into
our government hospitals. In the last year, additional 60 specialty centers
have been opened to the public.
Just last week, we inspected the
site of what shall soon be a 5-hectare multi-specialty center in Pampanga,
which will specialize in pediatrics, cardiology, kidney, and cancer treatment.
We are working towards a more direct and
efficient delivery of services, through integrated primary care providers and
networks, in partnership with the LGUs and private sector. These shall of
course be supported by what is now a better and more efficient PhilHealth.
Ang presyo ng mga mahahalaga at pangunahing
gamot ay bumaba nang humigit-kumulang na apat-napung porsyento. Mayroon ding
iba na bumaba hanggang siyam-napung porsyento.
Aside from the maximum retail price regulation
being implemented, strategic VAT exemption also lowered the prices of 59
essential medications, such as those for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney
disease, and mental illness.
Palapit nang palapit na tayo sa hangarin na
ang lahat ng Pilipino ay makakakuha ng serbisyong-pangkalusugan: sa ngayon,
mahigit 93 percent na ang kasapi sa PhilHealth!
Sa pinagandang Konsulta Package ng PhilHealth,
dalawampu’t isang klase ng mga gamot at labin-tatlong laboratory services ang
ibibigay nang libre. Ngayon, mayroon na tayong mahigit dalawanlibong Konsulta
centers sa buong bansa. Ang bilang na ito ay mas marami nang tatlumpu’t limang
porsyento mula noong nakalipas na taon.
Upang mas lalong makatulong sa mga pasyente,
ang dating siyam-napung libreng dialysis sessions ay inakyat na natin sa
isandaan at limampu’t anim. Mga kababayan, libre na po ngayon ang dialysis para
sa karamihan.
Noong nakalipas na taon, mahigit 3.4 milyong
Pilipino ang nabigyan ng tulong sa ilalim ng Medical Assistance for Indigent
Patients (MAIP) program ng DOH.
Tinutugunan natin ngayon ang ating kakulangan
sa mga doktor at mga nars, sa pamamagitan ng mga reporma sa edukasyon, patuloy
na pagsasanay, at paniniguro sa kanilang kapakanan.
Naglagay tayo ng mga doktor sa halos
dalawangdaang munisipyo sa bansa. Lalagyan natin ng doktor ang natitirang
labing-siyam na bayan na wala pa.
Upang masuklian ang naging sakripisyo ng ating
mga health workers sa pribado at pampublikong mga ospital noong nakaraang
pandemya, ipapamahagi na sa kanila ang kanilang COVID health emergency
allowance at iba pang mga nabinbing benepisyo.
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Kasabay ng panga-ngalaga natin sa
edukasyon at kalusugan ng ating mamamayan, tinitiyak din natin na may sapat at
magandang hanapbuhay—sa loob at maging sa labas ng bansa.
As of May this year, our
employment rate rose to 95.7 percent, clear proof of the improvement from the
severe unemployment that we experienced during the height of the pandemic.
Employment then was at a low of 82.4 percent.
But even with our current high rate of
employment, we must do more. We will generate additional jobs for the remaining
4.3 percent of our workforce, as well as for the 11.7 percent underemployed
Filipinos seeking better employment opportunities.
Under the banner of our fast-growing economy,
we are aggressive in our investment and business promotions and facilitations.
For that, we have not limited ourselves to the local economy, but have looked
to the global economy for partnerships and agreements.
Our independent foreign policy—a friend to all
and enemy of none—has proven effective. We formed strategic alliances with our
traditional and newfound partners in the international community.
We have embarked on foreign trips to promote
the interests of the country, for peace-building and for mutually beneficial
purposes. Those economic missions have yielded an estimated total investment
value of 71 billion US dollars, or 3.9 trillion pesos, with a potential to
generate 175,000 jobs.
The implementation of recent economic reforms
is underway. BOI-approved investment projects have reached 1.2 trillion pesos
during our first year, while other strategic investments approved for
processing through the newly established “green lanes” amount to 230 billion
pesos.
Our existing bilateral and multilateral trade
agreements, notably within the ASEAN framework, and with Japan, and with
Europe, allow us to leverage our competitive advantages and reap economic
benefits. We will continue to forge more of these international partnerships
that will lead to a more balanced trade strategy and a healthier economic
position.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) is now in force. It is a multilateral trade arrangement with
the ASEAN and other countries, such as Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New
Zealand. We can now have competitive access to a regional market of two billion
people.
As we address our weaknesses and develop
competitiveness in other potential areas, we also must play to our strengths.
Our competitive advantage must be leveraged. As a “service export powerhouse”,
we must continue to nurture the growth of the services sector, particularly the
Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) and tourism
industries.
Our tourism has always been a
reliable pillar of our economic growth through the years, providing livelihood
to more than 5 million of our citizens. Because of the reopening of the
economy, and the phenomenon of “revenge travel”, this sector is headed for a
great rebound.
From January to June this year,
we have received 3 million international visitors. This number is already 62
percent of our 4.8-million target for the entire year.
Mga kababayan, ang lahat ng mga
ginagawa nating ito ay magbibigay-bunga sa libo-libong hanapbuhay sa ating
bansa.
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To create these investment opportunities, we
must ensure that an enabling business environment is in place; that there is
peace and order, and that the rule of law governs. We will solidify our
country’s reputation as an attractive and reliable investment destination.
Building on institutional reforms of recent
years, we have created “green lanes” for strategic investments, and expedited
the business processes in various sectors and investment modalities.
A progressive and rationalized system of
taxation is a component of the ease of doing business. The CREATE Law has made
our corporate tax and incentive schemes equitable and business-friendly. There
are more structural tax reforms that must be introduced to allow us to reach
our socioeconomic targets.
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Digitalization is the call of
today; not of the future—but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is
needed today.
Government must fully embrace
digitalization to provide better service to the people, through its vital
frontline services and its back-end functions.
Digitalization will support the government’s
data-driven and science-based planning and decision-making. It is the greatest
and most powerful tool, not just to improve ease of doing business, but also
against many forms of graft and corruption.
Data shows that digitalization, in conjunction
with government’s streamlining efforts, has significantly boosted efficiency.
Notable examples are in the areas of government payments, company and business
registrations, issuance of permits and licenses, loan applications, and revenue
collection.
All our digitalization efforts will be linked
to our payment systems, whose digital transformation has been accelerating at a
remarkable rate.
Digital payments accounted for 42 percent of
the total retail payments made in 2022, whether by businesses, individuals, or
by the government. Its high trajectory is now well-positioned to achieve Bangko
Sentral’s target of 50 percent of total retail payments by this year.
The eGov PH app has also been launched. As
envisioned, all key government services are to be integrated into this single
and centralized mobile app, for the convenience of the general public.
The National ID system will be at the core of
this digitally transformed network of government services. It will
fundamentally change the lives of each Filipino. At 87% total registration, we
are now closer to establishing a complete, accurate, and reliable digital
database of our entire population. This has already been integrated into the
eGov PH app, and can be accessed by our citizens.
Consistent with this
transformative policy direction, all government offices must then ensure that
their vital services are digitalized immediately.
In response to this call, the DMW
launched last week the DMW Mobile to make the journey of our Overseas Filipino
Workers easier.
Because of system upgrades, our internet speed
has improved. As of June, this year, our fixed broadband speed ranks 47th among
180 countries. This ranking is 11 places higher than it was in 2022. Our mobile
internet speed is now ranked at 83 out of 142 countries, which is 8 places
higher than it was last year.
There will be more improvements,
as our internet infrastructure undergoes further upgrades. Early this year,
Starlink went live in the Philippines, now providing high-speed satellite
broadband connectivity. Our National Fiber Backbone and Broadband ng Masa
projects will also deliver high-connectivity and high-speed internet. We are prioritizing
geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
The DICT has been directed to
consolidate all these digitalized government services into the eGov PH app, to
establish the National Government Portal and the Philippine Business Databank,
and to improve the internet speed in our country.
With our E-Commerce Roadmap
firmly in place, we are poised to take this digitalization drive further and
beyond, utilizing e-commerce to take full advantage of new technologies.
The first bill that I signed into
law was the SIM Registration Act. We are mindful of the risks and
vulnerabilities that can lead to negative consequences. Digital users and
consumers shall be protected from identity theft, phishing, and other online
scams, through essential systems and safeguards, such as cybersecurity, data
privacy, consumer complaint mechanisms, and financial literacy campaigns.
The trainings necessary to ease
the transition of those whose jobs would be affected by the shift to digitalization are now included in the curricula and
programs offered by TESDA, DICT, and other agencies of government.
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It is our wish that one day
foreign employment will be driven by choice, not by necessity. It remains a
noble calling that our OFWs have answered, requiring great sacrifice from them,
their families, and their communities.
We are engaging with our partners
in the international community to ensure a safe working environment for our
countrymen. As we do so, we are also putting in place responsive mechanisms for
the social welfare, repatriation, and reintegration of our returning OFWs into
the Philippine economy.
As the world economy reopens, we
are witnessing a rise in overseas Filipino deployment. In 2022, the number has
increased by 62 percent. OFWs continue to send in historically high
remittances, solidifying their role in our transformative economic growth. In
2022, our OFWs contributed 32.5 billion dollars, or roughly 1.8 trillion pesos,
to our economy.
Several countries have signified
interest to explore bilateral labor cooperation with the Philippines in the
areas of healthcare, tourism, hospitality, engineering, construction, and
information technology. Recently, we signed agreements with Singapore, Austria,
and the province of Alberta in Canada.
Our priority is to ensure that
the principles of ethical recruitment, fair employment, and the safe and
orderly migration of our people, are embodied in our agreements with other
countries.
For example, the deployment issue
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been resolved. As of today, 70,000 of our
OFWs have already been deployed to Saudi Arabia for employment.
Moreover, the unpaid salaries and
other related claims of some 14,000 OFWs, who have been put out of work in
Saudi Arabia during the pandemic, are being processed. The Crown Prince himself
personally committed to me that the unpaid claims of Filipino workers would be
paid.
The continued employment of some 50,000
workers and the deployment of many more Filipino seafarers aboard EU vessels,
has also been assured. The lesson for us all is that our education and skills
must always be attuned to the high, exacting and constantly evolving global
standards.
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Sa pagsusumikap ng mga
mama-mayan, walang hindi kakayanin. Kahit ang mga mata-tayog na pangarap ay
maa-abot, kasama na ang inaasam na tahanan.
Katuwang natin ang lokal na pamahalaan at
pribadong sektor upang matulungan ang Pilipino sa
panga-ngailangan na pabahay.
Patuloy ang serbisyo ng Pag-IBIG Fund upang
makatulong sa kanyang labinlimang milyong miyembro para makabili ng bahay. Sa
nakaraang taon, mahigit isandaang libo ang kumuha ng housing loan sa Pag-IBIG,
na nagkaka-halaga ng 117 bilyong piso. Ito ang pinakamataas na bilang sa buong
kasaysayan ng Pag-IBIG!
Itong nakalipas na taon, mahigit 148 thousand
na kabahayan at mahigit tatlumpung libong mga certificates of eligibility of
lot award ang naipamahagi sa Luzon, sa Visayas, at sa Mindanao—sa ilalim ng
sari-saring mga programang pabahay ng pamahalaan!
Mahigit
tatlumpu’t limanlibong residential free patent at agricultural patent
titles naman ang naibigay sa mga benepisyaryo nito sa buong bansa!
Hindi pa rito nagtatapos. Papalawigin pa natin
ang ating programa sa abot-kayang pabahay, lalo na para sa mga mahihirap nating
kababayan. Itong nakalipas na taon, inilunsad natin ang Pambansang Pabahay Para
sa Pilipino Housing Program o 4PH.
Nagkaroon na tayo ng groundbreaking sa
dalawampu’t limang lugar sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa. Nagpirmahan na rin ng
mga kasunduan upang simulan ang mga proyekto sa mahigit isandaang lokasyon!
Kung susumahin natin ito, mahigit isang milyong kabahayan ang maiaalay natin sa
ating mga kababayan sa buong bansa!
------
The building blocks of progressive, livable
and sustainable communities will never be complete without appropriate and
responsible action to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
We can never lose sight of our responsibility
to the future. The economic agenda cannot and will not ever be incompatible
with our climate change agenda.
Climate change is now an important criterion
in our integral national policies, in planning, decision-making, up to the
implementation of programs. The potential advantages of such enlightened
policies extend to jobs and livelihood, with the unlocking of the development
of the green and blue economies.
We have learned many painful lessons from past
disasters. We continue to be alert and prepared in our disaster response. It
has, in fact, been commented that sometimes we are over-prepared for such
natural disasters. To continue that, we are reorganizing our response teams to
make them more adaptable, agile and effective in times of calamities and
crises, with a clear unity of command.
Our evacuation centers are being
upgraded to withstand the greater forces of the new normal of extreme weather,
as well as other natural and man-made disasters. Furthermore, new evacuation
centers are also being built, of which 55 have already been completed.
We remain committed to global decarbonization
goals, and the reduction of our carbon footprint. We preserve and protect the
treasure that is our forests. Their value to the environment, the ecology, and
the economy is incalculable.
We have adopted the concept of the “circular
economy”, using nature as our model. The aim is to keep raw materials in a
closed loop. In our world with scarce resources, the circular economy allows us
to fully use these resources, minimize waste and reduce the need for new
resources—as it is in nature.
Just like our climate change action, this new
system requires the participation of all sectors of society, up to each
individual citizen, for it to succeed.
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Only a whole-of-government and
whole-of-society approach will enable us to do all of these. It is necessary to
apply all the resources that are at hand if we are to progress as quickly as we
need to.
Collaboration is the key: between and among
government offices; between government and the private sector; between
industries and the academe; between government and international partners. And
most importantly, collaboration between and among our populace.
Kakailanganin natin ang tulong at
kakayahan ng buong pamahalaan at ng buong bansa.
And so, we shall do the same for
the next 5 years. We seek not only to become more effective, but more, to
become truly transformative.
This approach will be
operationalized through inter-agency cooperations; as well as through
coordinated efforts between and among the three branches of government, and the
independent constitutional bodies. We have organized private sector advisory
councils, and national-local mechanisms
to establish the needed linkages.
Once again, on this same
principle, I urge Congress to enact a new Government Procurement Law and a new
Government Auditing Code, to make government procurement and auditing more attuned
to these changing times.
We will give effect to the mandate of the
Constitution and the Local Government Code, as clarified by the Supreme Court,
soonest. Almost all of the required Devolution Transition Plans of the LGUs are
done. To fully prepare them for optimal devolution, the necessary technical and
financial assistance is being extended to our local governments.
In everything that we do, the enduring
Filipino quality of Bayanihan will be our guide.
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Limang taon mula noong matinding kaguluhan,
babangon na ang Marawi City. Nanunumbalik na ang sigla sa pamayanan. Maraming
proyekto ang nakukumpleto at mga imprastrakturang naitatayo. Kasalukuyan na
tayong nagpoproseso ng tulong-pinansyal para sa mga biktima ng Marawi siege
upang sila ay makapag-simulang muli. Nawa’y mamayani ang pag-asa. Nawa’y
magpatuloy ang pagkakaisa, pagmamatyag, at paghahangad ng kapayapaan at
kaunlaran.
We are proud of the progress that the BARMM
has taken. It will be self-governing, progressive, and effective.
But, this was made possible only because of
the cooperation of all key groups. The local government, the royal families,
the MNLF and the MILF were all consulted and represented in the transition
phase. The international community has also supported us in this smooth
transition. Former adversaries are now partners in peace. Its functions have
been defined, and its basic laws are being written.
Through the BARMM, we have strengthened the
nation’s prospects for finally achieving sustainable progress anchored on a
true and lasting peace in Southern Philippines. We will continue to support the
progress of the BARMM, apace with our singular vision for all Filipinos.
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A strong and stable rule of law will
strengthen the foundation of our transformation.
Our Police and Armed Forces are being
strengthened and modernized, to be more effective in maintaining peace and
order and in defending our sovereignty. We fully support the Judiciary’s
efforts to improve the justice system and to protect constitutional rights.
The campaign against illegal drugs
continues—but it has taken on a new face. It is now geared towards
community-based treatment, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration, to
curb drug dependence among our affected citizenries. Last year, we launched the
Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan or BIDA Program, and established additional 102
Balay Silangan Reformation Centers nationwide.
We will relentlessly continue our fight
against drug syndicates, shutting down their illegal activities and dismantling
their network of operations.
Unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved
in the highly nefarious drug trade have been exposed. I will be accepting their
resignations. In their stead, we will install individuals with unquestionable
integrity, and who will be effective and trustworthy in handling the task of
eliminating this dreaded and corrosive social curse. We cannot tolerate
corruption or incompetence in government.
For almost half a century, some of our fellow
Filipinos have taken to arms to make their views heard. We are now at a point
in our history when their armed struggle has evolved. We have now progressed
together towards peace and development.
We have incorporated
capacity-building and social protection into our reintegration programs, to
guarantee full decommissioning of former combatants. Through community
development and livelihood programs, the Barangay Development and Enhanced
Comprehensive Local Integration Programs have been effective in addressing the
root cause of conflict in the countryside.
To complete this reintegration process, I will
issue a Proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees. I ask Congress to
support us in this endeavor.
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Our journey to progress requires not only
unity and social cohesion among our people. It is also imperative that our
nation remains intact and inviolable, our sovereignty preserved. We will
protect our sovereign rights and preserve our territorial integrity, in defense
of rules-based international order.
With our national interest paramount, we will
always pursue constant dialogue and diplomatic approaches to the resolution of
any issue that may arise.
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So, the initial results of our efforts inspire
confidence. Let us continue to be relentless in our aspiration of peace and
progress. This has not been the work of a single person. Neither a single
branch of government, nor even the whole Government acting alone.
This is the collective synergy achieved by all
Filipinos working together. It took a whole-of-nation effort to achieve this
immediate recovery from our pandemic slump. Unity was what made us rise once
more.
Nagsisimula pa lamang tayo. Ang pagbangon ng
ating bayan ay magpapatuloy pa.
Hinihiling ko ang inyong tiwala at pakikiisa.
Sa ganitong paraan, maka-kamtan natin ang ating tanging hangarin: ang
maginhawa, matatag, at panatag na buhay para sa lahat ng Pilipino.
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Makikipagtulungan tayo nang mabuti sa Kongreso
para sa mga mahahalagang batas na kakailanganin natin sa ating tuloy-tuloy na
pag-ahon.
Once again, I appeal to Congress for its
support for the following priority legislations:
1) The essential tax measures under our
Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, such as--Excise tax on single-use plastics, VAT
on digital services, Rationalization of mining fiscal regime, Motor vehicle
user’s charge/road user’s tax, Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension,
2) Amendment of the Fisheries
Code;
3) Amendment of the Anti-Agricultural
Smuggling Act;
4) Amendment of the Cooperative Code;
5) New Government Procurement Law;
6) New Government Auditing Code;
7) Anti-financial accounts scamming;
8) Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) law;
9) The Blue Economy law;
10) Ease of paying taxes;
11) LGU income classification;
and
12) The Philippine Immigration
Act.
———
In the past year, it has been a source of
great hope and optimism to me to now know that there is an enormous pool of
highly competent and dedicated workers serving in our government. It is up to
us to provide good leadership and guidance. They love the Philippines, and have
responded to our call.
I have stated before that my confidence in our
future was grounded in our world-class quality workforce that we have—be they
the farmers in the field, corporate giants, government officials, school
teachers, health workers, or employees.
That confidence has been further buoyed by
their demonstration of love for the Philippines. They have unanimously risen to
the challenge that we have made to them to be part of the nation’s future.
Handa silang maghandog ng tulong, dahil mahal nila ang kanilang kapwa-Pilipino,
at mahal nila ang Pilipinas.
With this in my heart, I know that the state
of the nation is sound, and is improving.
Dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas
