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Statement of Senator JV Ejercito on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA)

July 24, 2023

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. proved that his message of unity was never a mere abstraction or campaign slogan. Since Day One, this message has inspired unprecedented cooperation among the different branches of government, our local government units, and various sectors of society. 

Presented with the Marcos administration’s recent accomplishments in various areas of development, we were given a glimpse of how far our unity as a government and as a people has taken us. In his first year in office, President Marcos took off from the successes of the Build, Build, Build Program and expanded our national infrastructure development program. I am particularly proud of his vision of connecting our major economic centers through roads, bridges, airports, seaports, and mass transportation. Once completed, these projects will form the backbone of our economic growth and generate jobs and opportunities for thousands of Filipinos.

In the area of public health, President Marcos introduced crucial structural changes to our healthcare system by establishing specialty centers in different parts of the country. Following the President’s lead, Congress recently approved the Regional Specialty Center Bill. These developments bring us closer to achieving the aspirations embedded in the Universal Healthcare Law, which I principally sponsored during my first term in the Senate.

  

Moreover, President Marcos was able to strengthen our national housing program through the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program. His target of building six million housing units before 2028 may be overwhelming, but we have been off to a good start. As the principal sponsor of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Law, I am glad that the housing sector is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Serving concurrently as the Secretary of Agriculture, President Marcos has done a commendable job in kickstarting the modernization of our agricultural sector. His crusade against agricultural smuggling will find its best weapon in my proposed amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Bill, which seeks to include hoarding, profiteering, and cartels as forms of economic sabotage. I am thankful that the President has included this bill among his priority measures.

As mentioned by the President, we have already done so much but we still have a lot of work to do. On Congress’ part, we will continue to cooperate closely with the President in coming up with legislation that will uplift the life of every Filipino. My logic is simple: the success of the Marcos administration will likewise be the success of the Filipino people!




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