(Last of three parts)
In his last full year in office, President Duterte spent some time signing several bills into law, including his last budget law and the promised department that will cater to the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
A day before the year ended, President Duterte signed the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2022 or the P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022.
During the ceremonial signing of the measure in Malacañang on December 30, President Duterte said the 2022 budget reaffirms the government’s strong commitment to improving the living condition in the country.
"This will also cement this administration’s legacy of real change for future generations, guided by the three main pillars of Building Resilience amidst the Pandemic, Sustaining the Momentum towards Recovery, and Continuing the Legacy of Infrastructure Development," he said.
The budget is likewise expected to ensure funding for expenditures related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic response and recovery operations after the onslaught of typhoon Odette in several provinces.
On the same day, the President signed into law the measure that will establish the Department of Migrant Workers, which will allow the creation of an entirely new agency dedicated to addressing all concerns of OFWs. Duterte had certified the measure as urgent in May this year.
Other laws
In February, President Duterte signed into law the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act that aims to allow banks and other financial institutions to offload soured loans amid the coronavirus pandemic. He certified the bill as urgent in October last year.
According to Malacañang, the signing of the law was proof that the government was focused on reviving the economy while grappling with the pandemic. The new law recognizes the role of banks and other financial institutions as mobilizers of savings and investments, and in providing the needed financial system liquidity to keep the economy afloat.
Also in February, Duterte signed into law the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 that speeds up the procurement and administration of coronavirus vaccines and establishes an indemnity fund for those who may show adverse side effects after getting the shot.
In May, the President signed the law giving him the power to defer the increases in contributions of the Social Security System (SSS) for the duration of the State of Calamity. It can be recalled that the Social Security Act of 2018 imposes a one-percent contribution increase on SSS members every two years starting 2019 until 2025.
Duterte likewise signed in May the PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor Height Equality Act. This allows male applicants of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Corrections to be at least 1.57 meters or 5’1" in height while the minimum height requirement for female applicants is 1.52 meters or 4.9".
Prior to the signing of the measure, the minimum height requirement for male applicants was 1.62 meters or 5’3" while it was 1.57 meters or 5’1" for female applicants.
The President signed into law in August the measure establishing the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) which sought to bridge the research and policy gap in the energy sector and push reforms that will directly benefit the Filipino people.
He signed the BFP Modernization Act in September, a law that aimed to strengthen and modernize the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Duterte said the new law would help boost the morale, efficiency, responsiveness, and professionalism of the bureau’s personnel as they continue to fulfill their mandate to save people’s lives.
In signing the law, the President justified the arming of firefighters in the country, citing a need for the latter to protect themselves from aggressive citizens during fire incidents. He added that armed firemen can also be tapped to address situations concerning law and order.
However, as President Duterte signed laws this year, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Undersecretary Jacinto Paras said in July that the measure seeking to give workers security of tenure and stopping the end of contract scheme (ENDO) was no longer part of the administration's priority legislation. However, he pointed out that there was still hope for the much-awaited measure.
President Duterte has called on Congress for a law that will give workers security of tenure to address the issue of contractualization. However, in July 2019, he vetoed the Security of Tenure Bill as it supposedly “unduly broadens the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting, effectively proscribing forms of contractualization that are not particularly unfavorable to the employees involved.”
Kafala system
This year, President Duterte remained vocal in his call for an end to the Kafala system or sponsorship system and all other structures that exploit and oppress migrant workers.
During his participation at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the President noted how millions of Filipinos work overseas under the “most difficult and inhumane” circumstances.
“We call for the abolition of all structures that allow the exploitation and oppression of migrant workers,” he said.
“The Kafala System is one such behemoth that chains the weak, the desperate, and the voiceless to an existence of unimaginable suffering. Nothing can justify the continued existence of this unjust system,” he added.
This was not the first time President Duterte expressed his stand against the kafala system. In January this year, he commended the Kingdom of Bahrain in its efforts to dismantle the “egregious” system and expressed the Philippines’ readiness to help the Kingdom in this endeavor.
Environment
Also during the 76th UNGA, the President reminded developed countries to do their part in addressing climate change, saying it would be a great injustice for the world to shift to a clean economy at the expense of developing countries' economic vitality.
“The greatest injustice here is that those who suffer the most are those the least responsible for this existential crisis,” Duterte said.
“Our world’s transition to a clean economy must not be at the expense of developing countries’ economic vitality. It simply cannot be or it will be another travesty of justice,” he added.
According to the President, the Philippines has been doing its part to avert the effects of the warming climate.
“We submitted our first nationally determined contribution for the target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030,” he pointed out.
“I issued a moratorium on the construction of new coal power plants and a directive to explore the nuclear energy option,” he added.
President Duterte has repeatedly stressed the importance of addressing climate change and demanded climate justice from “those who are most responsible for this existential challenge”.
In 2018, Duterte blamed climate change on Western countries, saying they only called for a global effort to address climate change only after witnessing their actions’ impact on the environment.