At A Glance
- President Marcos has a lot of "strong wins" to highlight in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), according to Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)
President Marcos has a lot of "strong wins" to highlight in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), according to Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda.
Salceda, an economist, cited the areas of inflation, unemployment, and the economy in general as areas where Marcos administration has scored recent victories in.
"While challenges remain, President Marcos has strong wins to tout. Inflation is down to 3.7 percent, within the target range," the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman said in a statement ahead of July 22 SONA.
"Unemployment is at 4.1 percent, strong considering our high interest rates. Growth is at 5.7 percent, solid considering China’s slowdown and the generally hostile global conditions," he noted.
"[Marcos] has also secured an agreement with India to supply rice, and will be able to secure even more supply as India eases export restrictions," added Salceda.
"In other words, the President can resolutely say that things are getting and are about to get better," the Bicol congressman further said.
Speaking of achievements, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo praised the Marcos administration for "bring[ing] crucial and basic services nearer and more accessible to the common Filipino".
Salo reckoned that the third SONA "shall likewise set the tone for the government’s policies and priority legislative measures for the betterment of the lives of Filipinos".
"We are confident that the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will be highlighted," said the former chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs.
"We are hopeful that the need for the immediate passage of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, which contains crucial interventions to ensure the protection of both seafarers & legitimate maritime industry stakeholders, will be mentioned," he said.
"We are also confident that other initiatives that aim to create more employment opportunities for our people will be highlighted. These include the implementation of Salt Industry Development Act, which seeks to revitalize and modernize the salt industry, and the creation of the Department of Fisheries, which aims to develop our aquatic resources," Salo further said.