Marcos Year 2: Status of the administration’s promises, progress, and backlogs
Rappler community partners look into the status of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s promises to the Filipino people since he assumed the presidency
Two years since his election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to deliver on a number of promises and plans he made to woo voters, from lowing rice prices to a fostering genuine national unity.
As the President delivers his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, Rappler’s community partners — the #FactsFirstPH, #AtinAngPilipinas, and #CourageON: No Lockdown on Rights coalitions — collaborated to identify compile the promises made by Marcos and his administration, and key issues in their sectors.
Bookmark this list to track the status of these promises and plans going into the President’s third year in office.
Addressing housing backlog
In 2022, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) aimed to build 1 million houses per year or 6 million housing units by 2028. In 2024, the government slashed the goal to 3 million houses by the end of the Marcos presidency, citing funding concerns.
Marcos requested Pag-IBIG to make home loans more accessible. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar mentioned that P20.17 billion was approved to aid the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program for the construction of 17,791 houses.
In June, DHSUD sought for funding guarantees for the project and to certify as urgent the bill seeking to institutionalize the 4PH program.
For fiscal year 2024, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocated P750.81 million for the 4PH interest subsidy. Senate bills 2409 and 2108 by Senators JV Ejercito and Christopher Lawrence Go, respectively, seek to institutionalize the 4PH program. Both bills are pending at the committee level.
Adhering to climate agreements
The Marcos administration allocated over P541 million from the People’s Survival Fund for six new climate adaptation initiatives in 2024.
In February, President Marcos facilitated a deal with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for the Philippines to receive international aid for climate adaptation. On July 9, the country was selected to host the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, a global fund that will help vulnerable nations deal with the adverse effects of climate change.
The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that, as of April, it was on track to add 1,984.775 megawatts of solar energy to the nation’s grid this year.
Boosting agriculture
According to the United States’ Department of Agriculture January 2024 Rice Outlook, the Philippines is projected to overtake China as the world’s top rice importer.
Projects of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture intended to boost the farming sector include the introduction of D4AgPH, an online platform for optimizing agriculture practices, and rice irrigation strategies called “Alternate Wetting and Drying” and “Quick Turn Around” to help farmers conserve water for continuous crop production during El Niño.
In the first quarter of 2024, crop production volume reached 25.07 million metric tons from 23.89 million metric tons in the same period of 2023. This increase was driven by the 17.2% increase in sugarcane production.
Bringing in tourism and investments
Based on government figures, 5.45 million international visitors arrived in the Philippines in 2023, significantly surpassing the 4.8 million visitors targeted by the Department of Tourism (DOT). They brought in P480 billion.
The country’s tourism receipts from January 1 to March 31, 2024, added up to around P157.62 billion, which is an estimated 120.70% recovery rate from the revenue gained from the same period in 2019.
As of April 24, 2024, a total of 2,010,522 international visitors entered the country, 15.11% higher than the international arrivals recorded in the same period last year.
The President’s many foreign trips brought in a reported P4 trillion in investments to the country, as of December 2023, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). However, about a third of this money was still in the planning stage, the department said at the time. In February, Malacañang said that $14 billion of these investments had been “actualized.”
Clark International Airport remains underutilized.
Bringing medical services to the people
The national government has allotted P22.98 billion to improve health facilities in 2024.
In June, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) board approved the increase of Konsulta Package’s financial assistance for the dialysis of diabetic patients from P2,600 to P4,000 per treatment.
The increase still falls short of PhilHealth’s initial aim of providing P5,200 per dialysis session.
Complying with tax laws
The Department of Finance (DOF) is on track to meet its three medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) goals:
- Bring down the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to less than 60% by 2025
- Reduce deficit-to-GDP ratio to 3% by 2028
- Maintain investment in infrastructure at 5% to 6% of GDP annually
In September 2023, the Philippines’ House of Representatives approved a bill seeking to reform the military and uniformed personnel pension system with the following improvements:
- New military members will contribute 9% of their salaries to their pension fund, and the government will contribute 12%.
- Guaranteed annual salary increase of 3% over 10 years
- Compulsory retirement age raised from 56 to 57 years, or as soon as military members accumulate 30 years of active service, whichever is later
Countering disinformation
The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) launched a Media and Information Literacy (MIL) campaign on August 14, 2023.
The campaign features an MIL summit and a community campus caravan, but fact-checking is not part of its focus.
Based on recent update, the PCO met with New Zealand journalists to discuss the MIL campaign, the Philippine media landscape, and combating disinformation.
Ensuring a people-centric Pasig River rehabilitation program
According to Ilog Pasiglahin, the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) or any related government agency has yet to hold a community consultation on the Pasig River rehabilitation project.
There is also no community member or local government unit representative in the IAC-PRUD to ensure that the Pasig River rehabilitation will be people-centric.
Aside from the garbage clean-ups and Pasig River Esplanade (PARES) phases 1 and 2 in Ermita and Intramuros, respectively, there are no other specific projects lined up as of yet for the river’s improvement.
The master plan submitted by Housing Secretary Acuzar, who chairs the IAC-PRUD, has been approved by Marcos. Acuzar unveiled the plan in August 2023, months after the creation of the inter-agency council.
Expanding the Food Stamp Program
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Edu Punay said preparations for the full implementation of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) are underway after a successful six-month pilot implementation in several parts of the country.
Punay said FSP will be implemented in 10 regions and 21 provinces with an initial target of 300,000 families who were validated and registered in June.
Beneficiaries will use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores.
Improving power supply
In April, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla described the country’s electricity situation as a disaster after the national power grid successively went under red and yellow alerts.
Full electrification is estimated to require P72 billion in funding.
Meanwhile, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection and the Cebu-Negros Panay Link are aimed at improving power distribution and accessibility across regions, ensuring a more stable power supply.
Improving internet access nationwide
In April 2024, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) launched the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phase 1 Project, which will expand the internet capacity of 14 provinces across Northern Luzon and Central Luzon.
During the Build Better Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City, Tarlac, last July 14, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the country now has an overall Internet penetration of 73.6% after their implementation of the Common Tower Policy.
The Broadband ng Masa Program, which establishes the national fiber backbone and middle-mile connectivity, and the Free Public Internet Access Program provide free, secure internet at 13,462 sites nationwide, according to Uy.
The Marcos administration is hopeful that a total of 9.8 million users can benefit from free internet services in 125,000 sites nationwide by 2028.
Improving the quality of education
The classroom shortage figures nationwide are at 165,444, Tara Rama, director III of the Department of Education (DepEd) Government Assistance and Subsidies Office, confirmed during a hearing by the Senate panel on basic education last March 20.
Students from Kinder to Grade 12 in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, BARMM, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas are among those most affected.
Meanwhile, the MATATAG Curriculum has been rolled out in 35 schools out of 47,678 schools in the Philippines. DepEd reported that 267,900 teachers and personnel had been trained for its implementation.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said this new curriculum is focused on improving both coverage of competencies and student confidence.
This year, Marcos ordered that skills development be integrated into the K-12 curriculum, and vowed to remain committed to providing free education in state universities and colleges.
Maintaining an independent foreign policy
In March, Marcos assured the public that the Philippines would maintain its independent foreign policy.
In the context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, he clarified that the Philippines will act according to its own interest, making foreign policy decisions that prioritize the wellbeing of the nation.
“We continue to chart an independent foreign policy in keeping with our constitutional mandate. We pursue [this] through international engagements that seek to strengthen existing alliances [and] build new partnerships with like-minded states,” Marcos told diplomatic corps in a vin d’honneur in Malacañang last June 12.
Protecting OFWs
The main office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) moved to The Upper Class Towers along Quezon Avenue corner Scout Reyes in Quezon City for a more accessible location and to enhance bureaucratic efficiency.
The office offers the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for Filipino emigrants and the Guidance Counseling Program (GCP) for partners and spouses of foreign nationals.
In a press release, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it allocated P15.3 billion for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which includes the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Emergency Repatriation Program to assist forcibly repatriated overseas Filipino workers.
Protecting the environment
According to LILAK, a collective of women advocates for indigenous women’s rights, indigenous women farmers and small food producers in different parts of the Philippines continue to experience hunger while lacking response and support from the Marcos administration.
“As they face the challenges of climate change and rising commodity prices, the influx of applications for corporate-driven projects such as in the extractive industries that will destroy the environment and the entry of energy projects within agricultural and ancestral lands.” LILAK said.
According to the June 2024 Mines & Geosciences Bureau report, 38 mines across the country have been approved and registered since 2021, and 148 more applications are being processed.
Protecting the LGBTQ+ community
President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQIA+ affairs.
In a statement on December 23, 2023, Malacañang said the President saw the need to “reinforce the Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) and reconstitute its Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the country’s continuous compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
The SOGIESC equality bill remains excluded from the updated priority measures in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council as of June 25, 2024.
Providing decent job and wages
Many Filipinos continue to face challenges due to low wages. As of June 2024, the average daily nominal minimum wage across all regions stands at P442, while a family of five should receive a living wage of P1,210 per day to live decently. The scarcity of decent work and sustainable livelihoods are also driving more Filipinos into hunger and poverty.
According to IBON Foundation, the informal employment population estimate is at 20.4 million workers.
When it comes to health workers’ Health Emergency Allowance, the DBM said that it would release the remaining P27.4 billion and COVID-19 sickness and death claims of healthcare workers on July 5, 2024.
By July 9, the Department of Health received the sub-allotment release order, and the allowance will soon be received by the healthcare workers who served the country during the pandemic.
Providing safe, clean, and affordable water
Marcos ordered the completion of water projects countrywide to mitigate the impacts of the drought and improve water security, acknowledging that water scarcity is now a constant threat due to climate change.
Last July 10, President Marcos celebrated the completion of the construction of the Upper Wawa Dam, which, as a part of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, will fill the needs of Metro Manila residents that the Angat Dam is not capable of.
The President continuously calls on leaders of both public and private sectors to work together to make clean water available to the 40 million Filipinos who currently do not have access.
Regulating the price of rice
Under Executive Order 62, Marcos cuts the tariff on imported rice to 15% to lower the rice prices. However, several farmer groups reject the proposal since reduced rice tariffs only lead to more rice imports.
As of the first phase of April 2024, the average retail price of rice was at P51.39, higher than the rice prices during the first and second phase of March, at P51.14 and P51.21, respectively.
In September 2023, Marcos imposed a price ceiling on rice. Under Executive Order No. 39, the price ceiling of rice is P41 for regular milled rice, P45 for well-milled rice, and P52 for imported rice. The price ceiling remains unless lifted by the President.
Supporting commuters and the transport industry
Since the original deadline of June 2020 for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), the deadline for consolidation was extended six times following multiple transport strikes. No extension was given after April 30, 2024.
July 2024 figures provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) show that 159,914 out of 191,730 (83.41%) public utility vehicles (PUVs) consolidated before the deadline.
Meanwhile, 1,749 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members, and 1,088 corporations have been formed. Additionally, only 24% of local public transport route plans (LPTRPs) in all LGUs have been approved, which are needed before fleets are modernized.
The DOTr estimates it may take until 2030 before the majority of jeepney fleets (150,000 vehicles) are modernized. Transport groups are still hoping for the program to be scrapped.
Since the deadline, fewer jeepneys have been operating in Cagayan de Oro.
In Bacolod, Undoc-Piston said at least 1,700 of its members could no longer operate and drive jeepneys legally, and Bacod-Manibela said around 10,000 of their dependents were suffering from the “negative economic impact” of the PUVMP.
The jeepney operators forced to consolidate have not received any proper training and support from the government to navigate the complexities of operating within consolidated transport service entity (TSE).
Meanwhile, Marcos held a public town hall about traffic concerns. He talked about alternatives to alleviate the traffic situation.
To improve mass transport in Metro Manila, the administration thinks of improving commuter railways and highways. Marcos also presented updates to key infrastructure projects, including railway developments and the Metro Manila Subway project.
In a meeting with stakeholders last June 5, Metro Manila train operators presented how they would address the problems of the train systems failing PWDs.
Upholding human rights
Marcos created a “super body” to enhance the protection of human rights. However, Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde stated that he fears this special committee would only serve as propaganda to defend the administrations against human rights abuses.
According to Amnesty international, they see no progress regarding human rights issues under the Marcos administration. Dahas Project reported that about 329 people in 2023 were killed.
The Marcos administration has consistently said that it would not cooperate in the International Criminal Court’s probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as it does not recognize its jurisdiction over the Philippines.
– Rappler.com