With only one of his 17 promises to improve the government’s delivery of social services fulfilled, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. admitted that he deserves a grade of “incomplete” for his first year in Malacañang.
Four of Marcos’ proposed pieces of legislation to improve the administration’s health response, especially against COVID-19, have not been enacted into law. These include the creation of a Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a Virology Institute of the Philippines, and a Medical Reserve Corps. He also asked for new specialty hospitals in various parts of the country — similar to the Philippine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines — that will be accessible to Filipinos living outside Metro Manila.
Marcos continues to improve the government’s social protection programs for Filipinos heavily affected by poverty, calamities and disasters. In January, inflation reached an all-time high of 8.7% since November 2008, which was the last time a global financial crisis occurred.
On Jan. 31, Marcos ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to continue improving the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). He asked Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to provide relief goods even before calamities strike.
As Marcos completed his first year in office, VERA Files looked into how he fared in the 17 promises on social services he made during his inaugural State of the Nation Address:
