With the policies prepared by the current government, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar is optimistic that the Duterte administration will be able to pass on the leadership confidently to its successors.

Andanar made the statement a few weeks ahead of the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2022 elections in October.

In an interview, Andanar highlighted the legacies of President Duterte which have bolstered the economy and created more opportunities for Filipinos to be competitive in both the local and international setting.

"Kapag nag-transition na po tayo mayroon po tayong maipapasa po tayong Pilipinas na handang-handang makipagcompete sa buong mundo pagdating sa job market, mga produkto (When we transition to the next administration, we will be able to pass on a Philippines that is ready to compete globally in job market and products)," he said.

The Palace official reiterated that the remaining months of the administration is a crucial period for the country and called for everyone’s cooperation.

He said that political differences should not be an issue in seeking resolutions to address the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"We only have one country, one government. Itabi muna natin ang politika dahil hindi naman mahalaga ang politika in the next 10 months (We only have one country, one government. Let’s set aside political differences because that is not important in the next 10 months)," Andanar said.

"Ang mahalaga ay yung matalo natin ang COVID-19 at mailagay natin sa tamang direksyon ang lahat ng mga aspeto ng ekonomiya at ng ating buhay (What’s important is that we defeat COVID-19 and we point the aspects of economy and securing and saving lives to the right direction)," he added.

Meanwhile, Andanar said that President Duterte’s high approval rating among Filipinos serves as an inspiration for the administration to continue its job in public service delivery.

He thanked the public for their support to the administration even amid the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Thank you so much for the support to the President. Until now 91 percent ang kanyang acceptance, approval rating at yan ay napakalaking bagay po para sa ating administrasyon (Until now he is enjoying the 91 percent in acceptance, approval ratings and that is a big deal for us in the administration," Andanar said.

"We will continue to work hard and we will continue to see that as an inspiration para po makapagserbisyo hanggang sa kahulihulihan ng administrasyong ito (So we can continue serving the public for the remainder of this administration)," he added.