"Incomplete." This is the grade President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. gave his performance during his first year in office, saying there was still more to do as the delivery of his promises remains a "work in progress."
*President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)*

Marcos said this as he marked the first year of his historic return to Malacañang on June 30. In an interview, the President agreed with Dr. Aries Arugay, chairman of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman - Department of Political Science, that he should get a grade of "incomplete" for his first year in office. "I saw a report earlier this morning where one of the economists said, 'The grade that I will give for the President is incomplete.' I agree with him. We are not done," he said on June 29. Marcos explained that delivering on his campaign promises is an ongoing process and that there were many things to consider, particularly the changes in international trade and geopolitics. "Ang dami pa nating gagawin. There are many, many things that we still need to do," he said. Marcos became the country's 17th president after getting over 31 million votes, representing an overwhelming majority, in the May 2022 polls.

Agriculture sector

When it comes to the agriculture sector, President Marcos said his administration has to "undo" almost 40 years of "neglect," especially since this sector occupies the most fundamental part of the Philippine economy. "We have done a lot of growth; we are beginning to see the systemic changes that are going to be part of the new bureaucracy. But there is still a long way to go," he said. Marcos acts as secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Recently, he ordered the DA to study a proposal to set up silos to ensure a 30-day buffer stock of rice and corn in the country.

Economy

Regarding the economy, President Marcos believes that they have already implemented the basic elements for the Philippine economy to become agile and resilient. "We continue to work on the economy to make sure that our basics, our macro-economic basics, are in place," he said. Marcos admitted that the country is still dealing with inflation but claimed that his government is doing its best to help the public weather its effects. "We are still fighting with inflation— talagang 'yan ang isa sa panay na pinakamalaking problema na kinakaharap natin (that is one of the biggest problems we are facing)," he said. "Lahat ng maaari nating gawin ay ginagawa natin, para hindi masyadong mahirapan ang ating bayan (We're doing everything we can so that the public won't suffer that much)," he added.

Poverty alleviation

In an attempt to resolve poverty, Marcos said they are nearing the conclusion of the tripartite negotiations for the wage board. "Meron tayong makikita na tama para makatulong naman tayo sa mga mas maliliit at nangangailangan (We think something good is coming that can help the ordinary people in need)," he said. However, he recognized that this might not be enough. "Whatever it is that we have managed to do, there is still a great deal more to do," the President said. "We have to work smart, and we have to work well, and we have to be very conscious," he added. This week, President Marcos named disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon as his adviser on poverty alleviation.

Looking ahead

Moving forward, President Marcos believes that the Philippines should not be "insular" and that the government must work harder to get more investments. 'We should not be insular and think that it is only the Philippines that exist," he said. Marcos likewise seemed glad that the Philippines is being considered an ideal place for businesses. "The world looks at the Philippines in a different way now. You go anywhere now, and the Philippines is always recognized," he said. "They say that if you are planning to invest in ASEAN, then you must have a plan to invest in the Philippines; otherwise, it is not going to be a good plan. So that is now the place that we occupy," he added. According to President Marcos, the job now was to ensure that the changes his administration started were maintained. "The job ahead of us is to make big structural changes that we have instituted, to make them work, and so we can see the results, not only in terms of statistics in the PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) but also in the lives of ordinary people," he said.