President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. who is about to hit his first 100 days in office, has done a "great job" so far as a leader according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
"I think the President has done great things...in the government, particularly in his Cabinet and his policies are very clear," Romualdez told reporters Thursday morning, Oct. 6 in a chance interview on the sidelines of the kickoff of HRep Month.
"On the part of the House of Representatives, we affirmed his fiscal framework along with the Senate. We passed his budget on third reading so we’re well on our way. That’s the most important piece of legislation, that’s the national budget for 2023," said the Leyte 1st district congressman.
The P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2023 or proposed national budget is the first full annual outlay of the Marcos administration.
"So my assessment is that he’s done a great job and he’s also done a wonderful job in engaging our friends in the international community whereby foreign direct investments (FDIs) would be coming," the House leader said.
As proof, Romualdez cited the results of Marcos's recent trips to Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States (US), which all happened to be country’s top trading partners.
"Singapore being the number one source of foreign direct investments has seen so much enthusiasm and they welcome his (Marcos) presidency and his administration," he said.
Romualdez further said he's "very excited" for the Marcos administration moving forward.
"So we’re looking for a swift recovery despite all of the pressures and the global economic...so we’re very excited for his administration. And on the part of the House, we support him wholeheartedly and we wish him Godspeed and congratulations his first 100 days," he said of the Chief Executive.
Marcos will mark his first 100 days in Malacañang on Friday, Oct. 7.
'Right on track'
In a subsequent statement Thursday, Romualdez said that the Philippines was "right on track, and is sprinting steadily during the first 100 days of the administration of President ".
"Our economy has bounced back from the ravages brought by the global pandemic and has already reached the first stage to full recovery...The future indeed looks brighter under the Marcos administration. Businesses now ramping up activity, new jobs are created and lost jobs are restored, and economic activities have turned dynamic once again,” noted Romualdez, who has accompanied Marcos in his recent work-related trips.
Romualdez cited the bilateral meeting between Marcos and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, where the two leaders cemented a stronger security alliance and discussed opportunities to expand cooperation on a wide range of issues, including energy security, climate action, and infrastructure.
During his trip to Indonesia, Marcos and Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the signing of agreements on defense, security, creative economy, and culture. They also renewed their commitment to stronger bilateral cooperation as fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In his state visit to Singapore, Marcos and Prime Minister Lee witnessed the signing and exchange of agreements on counterterrorism, personal data protection, digital cooperation, water resource management, and investment.