President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (BBM Media Bureau)


Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo gave a near perfect score to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for the latter's performance in his first year in Malacañang. "Specifically, I am giving the President a 9.7 in a scale of 1 to 10," Salo said on late Wednesday night, June 28. The veteran solon justified this score in a subsequent statement on Thursday, June 29, or a day before Marcos celebrated his first year anniversary as President. "In a year, His Excellency President BBM (Bongbong Marcos) has delivered on his promise of uniting the Filipino people. The President has worked to mend the divide caused by the past election, which is an outstanding feat by itself, considering it was very divisive,” Salo said. Marcos is on track in delivering his campaign promises as far as the party-list solon is concerned. "During his campaign, the President promised to reduce the unemployment rate through the creation of job opportunities. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate has steadily declined from 5.2 percent in July 2022 to 4.5 percent in April 2023," he stated. "The President also promised to build one million houses every year for the Filipinos. Through the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Project, the President is another step further into fulfilling his promise," Salo said, noting that the groundbreaking of several housing project sites have commenced this year. He also noted that crime rates have dipped by 11 percent. As per the Philippine National Police (PNP), they recorded 12,226 crime incidents in the first four months of 2023. "This rate is down from the 13,763 recorded in the same period of 2022," he said. Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs also noted the significant steps taken by this administration to promote the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and seafarers. "The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) became fully operational in 2023. This provides a dedicated department for the protection of our OFWs, as well as for the creation of new markets for aspiring OFWs," he said. "I also commend the President for his efforts to ensure that our seafarers will continue to get the best opportunities in the maritime industry. With the President's unqualified support to the seafarers and his efforts in proactively engaging the European Union, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) shall continue to recognize Filipino Seafarers' certifications," Salo added. Salo also noted the World Bank (WB) report that the Philippines is on track to become an upper-middle income status country by 2025. "With still five years remaining on his term, it is admirable that the President recognizes that more work needs to be done and many issues are yet to be addressed in order for his administration to fully realize his promises to the people," he said. As a lawmaker, I pledge to continually support the President and his programs so we can achieve an inclusive progress for all Filipinos," concluded Salo.