“Let me remind those who are running their mouths and harping on BBM’s little R & R in Singapore that the President last month received US$6.54 billion in investment pledges during his official trip there last month.”
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (BBM) took a short break for the first time after three months since taking over as the Philippines’ 17th Chief Executive, a well-deserved rest and recreation in Singapore last weekend.
BBM returned to the plush City State to watch the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday which drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, some quarters back here at home do not share the enthusiasm of the President going at his personal expense to a few days of “weekend trip” to see the fascinating F1 Grand Prix, the world’s ultimate car race event.
They claim the Chief Executive is insensitive to the plight of the thousands of victims of Super Typhoon Karding, whom up to now are still in the evacuation centers as their homes were damaged by the typhoon.
Let me remind those who are angry at the President’s short break in Singapore, everything is being taken care of by the DSWD and other agencies tasked in helping in the relief and recovery efforts of the government for all those victims of the said super typhoon.
The President is a macro manager; therefore he does not need to be on the ground in every disaster or calamity or conflict because this is the job of his Cabinet secretaries.
But there are people who just do not appreciate the importance of BBM taking a break after three months of continuous hard work including weekends, which I witnessed personally—having updated him continuously with the relief operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Being the DSWD Secretary, I have had to keep the President abreast about the status of the daily operations in extending various forms of aid to victims of calamities that hit different regions recently.
On the President’s order, the DSWD had prepositioned relief goods in calamity-prone areas, a strategy that has paid off, making available the family food packs and other relief goods to calamity victims in remote areas or those isolated by flash floods and landslides.
Since Day One, BBM and I have been hands-on in helping our kababayans affected by the recent super typhoon Karding, distributing over P50 million in cash and family food packs and other essential items, as well as extending financial assistance to those who lost their homes and livelihood.
BBM wants to be informed constantly regarding social welfare services even when he is abroad like the past few days when he was in New York — after all he is just a phone call away.
I have to update him every day, even on weekends on the status of every disaster relief operation including that of Karding.
Let me remind those who are running their mouths and harping on BBM’s little R & R in Singapore that the President last month received US$6.54 billion in investment pledges during his official trip there last month.
Last weekend’s Singapore trip has galvanized those commitments, which are expected to generate thousands of jobs for Filipinos, including investments in manufacturing electric tricycles and floating solar technology.
The Singapore government also assured at least 10,000 new job orders for Filipino workers, adding to the 200,000 already working in the City State.
Earlier, BBM’s economic team secured some US$8.5 billion in investment pledges in their visit to Indonesia, the first leg of his first official overseas trip last month.
At no cost to the government, BBM’s well-deserved R & R also came after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and bagging additional US$4 billion in investment pledges after meeting with US President Joe Biden, as well as members of the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce.
BBM reportedly also got the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with other world diplomats and dignitaries in attendance at the thrilling FI Singapore Grand Prix.
On Sunday, October 9, it will have been 100 days since BBM hit the ground running as a President, bestowed with the mandate of all-time record 31 million votes in last May 2022 elections.
The President, in fact, has not since stopped working for a day.
