Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday, July 22 said he and his colleagues in Congress take pride in being partners of President Duterte as he moved strongly to initiate “genuine change for the benefit of Filipino people.”
“President Duterte really did his best to uplift the lives of the Filipino people by prioritizing legislative measures and initiating concrete actions that directly benefit our countrymen,” Velasco said.
He added: “This video highlights all of those legacy bills and projects, and the public need to be informed of these accomplishments.” The omnibus video entitled, “Kung Duterte, Posible,” features the President’s signing of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, a law providing free tuition for students of 112 state universities and colleges across the country.
The Duterte administration also provided financial assistance to poor but deserving students from marginalized families, indigenous communities, or persons with disabilities through the United Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or UniFAST.
The video also highlights the following: the establishment of Malasakit Centers where indigent patients can efficiently access financial and medical assistance from government agencies and the the Universal Health Care Act which guarantees equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare services for all Filipinos, among others.
It also contains the temporary closure of Boracay for six months as part of the government's efforts to rehabilitate and redevelop the resort island; the strict enforcement of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country; the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act; the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act; the Murang Kuryente Act; the flagship Build, Build, Build infrastructure program; among others.
The omnibus video capped off a three-week campaign initiated by the House leadership ahead of the President’s last SONA on July 26.
“President Duterte was able to accomplish so many things, including signing into law landmark legislation that we never thought would be possible, as well as high impact programs and critical reforms aimed at improving the quality of life of Filipinos,” Velasco said.
“All presidencies have their share of critics, but it would be a shame if we overlook PRRD’s meaningful contributions to the country during his term. These videos are meant to remind us of all of those major accomplishments,” he stated.