WITH a sweep of the alphabet, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood beside his countrymen in raising their hopes for the years ahead as he reviewed the state of this nation of 115 million aching for solutions to their concerns.
From agriculture to climate change to territorial disputes to a ban by yearend of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) which have spawned crimes to an approved Maritime Zones Act, there is reason to rally behind the President.
Areas mentioned during the State of the Nation Address included the prioritization of local palay production, distribution of seedlings and fertilizers, as well as training to farmers, farming modernization, operations of Kadiwa centers for cheaper agricultural commodities, more support to fishers, and actions to combat agrifishery smuggling,.
The President raised the country’s proactive stance on global climate responsibility, including being the host country of the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, which seeks to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters.
He discussed current efforts to enhance disaster preparedness and promote renewable energy sources to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The President gave the element to his countrymen when he said, without naming any country, the Philippines, which has been harassed in its own exclusive economic zone for months on end, “cannot yield and cannot waver” in territorial disputes.
His statement came after the Philippines and China agreed to a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal which has been the focus of violent clashes in recent months.
The President’s announcement of a total ban on all POGOs nationwide by yearend gave administration supporters and critics alike a platform for hope and better days ahead, making crimes hatched in these hubs a memory.
His order to the Department of Labor and Employment to look for new jobs for Filipinos who will be affected by the ban deserves praise.
He raised the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’s success in “breaking the cycle of poverty” with around 420,000 families who have graduated from the program, and sought to expand the 4Ps program to benefit the pregnant by capitalizing on the rare window for significantly improving children’s development and quality of life – from mother’s pregnancy to age 2.
On his aggressive Build Better More infrastructure program, the President described the current “railway renaissance” of building more railways to improve public transportation.
His strategy for ensuring water security is heartening as he described the completion of irrigation dams to supplement other bulk water projects, especially in underserved areas.
His announcement of the approval by a bicameral conference committee of the proposed Maritime Zones Act underlined a legislation needed by Filipinos to continue their “intergenerational mandate” of defending the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
