Twenty years after FPJ

Twenty years since FPJ’s passing, it’s been so heartwarming to witness Filipinos, from all walks of life, keeping Da King’s works, values and aspirations alive.This past Dec. 14, my family and I were humbled by the outpour of love for Papa Ronnie. We had the great privilege of holding holy mass for him and celebrating his life and legacy at the inauguration of the FPJ Ecopark in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, his hometown.

Two decades is a long time. Back in 2004, our country’s population was estimated at 84.2 million. The Philippines’ poverty rate was at around 33 percent, or one out of three Filipinos, or about 27.79 million. 62 percent of Filipino families (or two out of three) rated themselves as poor. Child malnutrition in the Philippines was said to be so bad in certain areas and sectors that it was comparable to North Korea. The first iPhone didn’t exist yet, and Nokia phones were hegemonic. The internet penetration rate in the Philippines was only a tiny 2.6 percent. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) weren’t even existing yet; instead, there was its precursor, the Millennium Development Goals, which also sought to eradicate poverty. I, for one, wasn’t even a teenager yet, but I understood that Papa Ronnie had long been quietly helping his countrymen through philanthropy, and fiercely wanted to transform his dreams of success for the Philippines into reality.

Today, the world has changed almost indistinguishably. There’s the lingering economic, social and cultural recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; a global disaster unimaginable for most people back in 2004. Google boasts its avant-garde quantum chip “Willow,” technology titan companies like the Majestic Seven dominate capital markets and artificial intelligence has become a genuinely disruptive force. Nations around the world are scrambling for climate finance, SDGs and treaties that could better deliver climate justice. With a 73.4 percent internet penetration rate, the Philippines is now the world’s social media and vlogger capital for multiple consecutive years in a row.

The Philippine population now stands at approximately 117 million. Our poverty rate at 15.5 percent translates to roughly 18 million Filipinos. It means 10 million more Filipinos with food on the table. Undernourishment has diminished from 14.6 percent in 2004 to 5.9 percent in 2023. Under Senator Grace Poe’s landmark law “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” or the “First 1,000 Days Law” (Republic Act No. 11148), the government supports the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, or up to a child’s second birthday. Data suggest that every peso spent for child nutrition results in P12 saved in health expenditures. Through Masustansyang Pagkain Para Sa Batang Pilipino Act of 2018 (RA 11037), which our Senate office co-authored, we established the country’s national feeding program for “undernutrition and nutrient-deficiency among children aged three years up to grade six level.” For the academic year of 2023 to 2024, data showed our efforts benefitted over 1.5 million children nationwide. Relatedly, contrasted with 2004, foundlings like my mother are now protected through The Foundling Recognition and Protection Act (RA 11767).

In terms of climate change and natural disasters, Filipinos’ greater awareness and increased support empower the sustainability movement both here and abroad. I’ve found many allies, both in the public and private sectors, in my studies and various advocacies, who share the belief that sustainable development must be at the core of our nation-building paradigm. Back in 2004, there wasn’t even a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Today, a Department of Water and Department of Disaster Resilience are closer to becoming a reality, through Senator Poe’s proposed “National Water Resource Management Act” (Senate Bill No. 102 filed last July 7, 2022) and SBN 103 filed last July 7, 2022 respectively. We now have institutional interventions such as “The Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act” (RA 10639), authored by Senator Grace Poe, that we didn’t have two decades ago. There’s “The Loss and Damage Fund Board Act” (RA 12019) institutionalizing the Philippines’ leadership position as the world’s host country of the United Nation’s Loss and Damage Fund. We have the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act (Republic Act 12076) establishing a permanent network of evacuation centers throughout the Philippines. Instead of a mere victim, the Philippines is now on its way to becoming a leader and pioneer in climate justice.

On the economic front, Senator Grace Poe’s leadership of the Senate committee on public services produced the comprehensive landmark legislation called the Amended Public Service Act (RA 11659). It revamped our 86-year-old law and permitted the Philippines to open up our economy to the world without contentious charge change and made it more attractive to foreign investments. It is credited for business conditions conducive for Elon Musk’s Starlink to do business in the Philippines, which in turn brought internet to locally underserved and strategic areas like Pag-asa Island. It also forms a critical component of and synergizes with a host of new economic laws, such as the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RA 11595), the amended Foreign Investment Act (RA 11647) and the CREATE MORE Act (RA 12066). All of it work together to create better jobs, employment and lives for Filipinos.

It’s been 20 Christmases without Papa Ronnie. It’s not only memories of Papa Ronnies’ love, compassion and belief in Filipinos that keep us optimistic. It is also the fact that there are so many Filipinos who not only share FPJ’s vision – for a better, more prosperous and more inclusive Philippines – but who also continuously work to make it happen.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to us all!