Vice President Sara congratulates President Marcos for ‘successful’ first year in office

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte congratulated President Marcos on her Facebook account yesterday for a supposedly “successful” first year in office, specifically lauding his determination to fulfill campaign promises.

“Everybody can see the hard work and perseverance of our beloved President to continue the positive changes started by the previous administration and introduce new programs and projects that would improve the lives of our fellowmen,” the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte said.

She said she is “happy” to be part of an administration that is committed to strengthen the country, particularly its economy.

Duterte cited the Marcos administration’s “aggressive” economic policies and its prioritization of job creation and poverty alleviation. She also lauded the Marcos administration for its strong support to the sectors of agriculture, fishery and labor and for various infrastructure projects.

Duterte, the concurrent education secretary, likewise commended the Marcos administration’s efforts to improve the quality of education as well as health services and strengthen foreign relations with various countries.

“The Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education are thankful to our President for his support to our programs for all our citizens and the Filipino youth,” Duterte said.

Marcos and Duterte, running mates during the May 9, 2022 elections, both marked their first year in office on Friday (June 30).

Duterte, meanwhile, urged the Filipino people to support the Marcos administration, in order for it to fulfill its goals for the country.

“I hope that we can strengthen our unity and use it as a weapon to overcome all the future challenges that we will be facing as one country,” Duterte said.

On the other hand, Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. – a close ally of Marcos’ political rival Leni Robredo and stalwart of the opposition Liberal Party – also lauded Marcos for the “country’s economic growth which economic managers recently projected would be the highest in Southeast Asia for 2023 at 6.0 percent.”

In a press statement, the senior Bicolano legislator, now on his third and last term, said he hopes the “economic growth could be sustained to provide Filipinos respite from the impact of the pandemic.”

At the same time, Bordado urged the Chief Executive to “focus on improving the agriculture sector” after Marcos himself admitted that he failed in pursuing reforms as the secretary of agriculture, in a concurrent capacity.

“Our economy will remain unstable for as long as food security is not achieved. We can only stabilize commodity prices if problems in the agricultural sector are properly addressed,” he said.

The opposition legislator nevertheless suggested there is a “need to consolidate the very fragmented agricultural sector and put in more programs to help farmers adapt to modern technology in improving yield.”

Meanwhile, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., a stalwart of the National Unity Party and veteran administration legislator, heaped praises on Marcos for doing an “impressive job in his first year in office, providing the country with a steady and reliable leadership in the face of difficult challenges.”

“The President buckled down to work and took the bull by the horns, so to speak,” he said in a statement sent to House reporters.

Barzaga said the Chief Executive was also able to restore decency in public office, pointing out that he “has always comported himself with dignity, exuding confidence.”

The Cavite congressman said the President has also helped the country regain respect in the international community, especially since he, being a Marcos, is a household name.

He said the Chief Executive promoted the country as an investment destination in his foreign trips, where he also forged closer diplomatic and economic ties with other nations, especially the US.

Marcos had not presented to the media a detailed platform during the campaign period and opted to skip several presidential debates. He instead reiterated the importance of uniting the country, including the people in government regardless of their political affiliation.

Marcos also promised to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo as well as address poverty and hunger. — Delon Porcalla