A new dawn of a decade draws near and practically all Filipinos, or 93% of Philippine nationals, are brimming with hope and positivity as they approach the New Year. They can cling on to such optimism as Filipinos have so much to look forward to in 2020 under the Duterte Administration.

2019 has been an exemplary year for the Philippines. Last April, our country has been given by an established business intelligence corporation with a BBB+ investment rating – the highest credit rating the Philippines has ever received – which attests to the people’s confidence on the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The country's Gross Domestic Product grew to 6.2% in the third quarter of 2019, which is within our “fighting target” for economic growth to remain on track with President Duterte’s socioeconomic goal, including the objective of lowering poverty incidence to 14%, by the end of his term in 2022. Similarly, the Philippines has leapfrogged to 54th place among 129 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019, thereby improving its ranking by 19 notches from 73rd in 2018 in the aspect of innovation performance and economic progress.

The President has invested in his political capital wisely with -- upon the recommendation of his economic team – difficult but game-changing reforms, such as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, as well as the Build, Build, Build Infrastructure Program, among others, which are important in achieving our goal of bringing a more comfortable life for all law-abiding Filipinos.

Three years after President Duterte took office, the Department of Public Works and Highways has reported the completion of 9,845 kilometers of road, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82 evacuation centres, and 71,803 classrooms. As of November of 2019, it has been reported that there are 35 constructions ongoing, 32 projects to commence construction within 6-8 months, 21 in the advanced stages of government approval and 12 in the advanced stages of feasibility studies. In addition, 38 projects are projected to be completed by 2022, 22 will be partially operational or at substantial completion, and 40 are to be completed beyond 2022. All of these will commence construction within the term of this Administration.

We are likewise making headway in our poverty alleviation efforts. Even the President’s harshest critics have admitted that the number of poor Filipinos declined faster than expected in the last three years. Poverty incidence, as per the Philippine Statistics Authority, dropped to 16.6% in 2019 from 23.3% in 2015. This means that 5.9 million Filipinos have been lifted out of poverty.

PRRD has signed landmark pieces of legislation and executive measures in the past three years, such as free tuition in state universities and colleges, free irrigation for farmers, free internet access in public places, institutionalization of feeding programs for public school students, free medicine and financial support to indigent patients, anti-hospital deposit law, mandatory Philhealth coverage for persons with disabilities (PWDs), and prohibition on illegal labor subcontracting resulting in the regularization of hundreds of thousands of workers. In 2019 alone, the Chief Executive has approved more key legislative measures like the Universal Healthcare Act, Mobile Number Portability Act, the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave, the Magna Carta for the Poor, the Student Fare Discount Act, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the Sagip Saka Act, the Murang Kuryente Act, and the National Integrated Cancer Act, among many others.

The President has likewise distributed Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries and farmers. The Chief Executive has issued Executive Order No. 75 (s. 2019), mandating all government agencies to identify government-owned lands suitable for agriculture for distribution. The issuance has practically covered unused government-owned lands, thereby making available at least 300,000 hectares more for the agrarian reform program.

The Duterte Administration has repatriated thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by amnesty programs implemented by several countries. For the returning OFWs, they have been provided with training and livelihood assistance for their reintegration. From January to November 2019, a total of 141,242 OFWs have benefitted from the Assistance to Nationals Fund, while a total of 5,314 OFWs have been helped by the Legal Assistance Fund, of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

President Duterte has remained faithful to his campaign promises and continues to be adamant in his resolve to curb the illegal drug industry and apparatus in the country. With his firm messages against big and small-time drug lords, we have seen voluntary surrenders in the thousands from drug users and pushers. Drug addicts have been given a chance to mend their ways. To be more specific, 178,535 drug surrenderees nationwide have completed the community-based drug rehabilitation program in November of 2019. Related to this, index crime has critically sunk since PRRD took office. In July 2019, for example, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has reported an 11% decrease in crime volume.

President Duterte has initiated strategies and measures to thwart the local communist rebellion from spreading as well. He, too, halted the spread of extremist ideas in the local soil, as well as those flourishing from different parts of the globe.

President Duterte, as Head of State, has also pursued an independent foreign policy by removing our country’s subservience to the West while improving our relations with all other countries, such as Russia, China and those belonging in the Southeast Asian region. The notable effects of which are the return of the historic Balangiga bells from the United States, and the reshipment of trash back to Canada. President Duterte’s independent foreign policy direction has been making its doors open to more foreign direct investments, creating plenty of livelihood and job opportunities for Filipinos and making our economic growth robust, sustainable, and inclusive.

PRRD has made the Philippines one of the strongest economies and growth leaders in the region by changing its business climate that prompted the influx of foreign investments. It is worth mentioning that the Board of Investments has breached its P1-trillion 2019 investment target as of October 2019, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

During this time, the President has also strengthened local domestic regions, and with the successful referendum that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the normalization under the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro is now on track.

There are no sacred cows in this Administration. PRRD has fired military and high officials in the government for corruption or incompetence, even including his longtime friends and allies. In 2019, he has directed the abolition of the Road Board and the disestablishment of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission as part of this Administration’s anti-corruption drive and streamlining of government functions.

The country also successfully hosted the 30th Southeast Asian Games nearing the end of 2019, and at the same time, became the overall champion with a record-breaking 149 gold and 385 medal haul overall.

Finally, the President’s Approval and Trust ratings remain at an all-time high. According to the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey, Duterte’s approval rating improved to 87% — 9% higher from the previous quarter which is 78%. His trust rating, on the other hand, soared to 83%, which is 8% higher compared to the September result of 75%. As proof to the Chief Executive's stratospheric ratings, those that Duterte endorsed during the midterm elections won considerable number of seats in both chambers of Congress, thereby increasing the likelihood of the President’s pro-people reforms and laws be supported and passed at the soonest possible time.

Much has been done in the past three and a half years under the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The Filipino people can expect the same number of significant achievements, if not more, in the remainder of his term. And as we often say, even as most of the Filipinos are in awe of PRRD’s accomplishments, the best is yet to come.

Salvador S. Panelo Chief Presidential Legal Counsel & Presidential Spokesperson
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