Marcos makes first National Address
Published on: Tuesday, July 26, 2022
By: Inquirer
MANILA: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.(pic) on Monday asked Congress to craft a law condoning the loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries.In his first State of the Nation Address (Sona), Marcos said the proposed measure would condone agrarian reform beneficiaries’ unpaid amortisation and interest payments.
ADVERTISEMENT
This measure will amend Section 26 of Republic Act No. 6657.
“Congress must also pass a law that will emancipate the agrarian reform beneficiaries from the agrarian reform debt burden, thereby amending Section 26 of Republic Act No. 6657,” he said in his speech.
“In this law, the loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries with unpaid amortisation and interest shall be condoned. This law aims to remove the debt of farmers who are agrarian reform beneficiaries,” Marcos added.
He said agrarian reform beneficiaries will also still receive their awarded lands “without any obligation to pay any amortisation.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The President said the condoning of existing laws would cover the amount of P58.125 billion, benefiting 654,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s infrastructure program will continue under the administration of his successor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
ADVERTISEMENT
Marcos said that he would not only pursue Duterte’s infrastructure program but would likewise expand it.
“The backbone of an economy is its infrastructure. The infrastructure program of the Duterte administration must not only continue but, wherever possible, be expanded,” he said.
He said he would not suspend any ongoing infrastructure projects in the country as they benefit the public.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spoke about his administration’s programs for solo parents aswell.
“We would not forget the solo parents and mothers who have become separated from their husbands because of violence,” Marcos Jr. said in his speech at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
He said his administration would bolster programs for women and children like counselling for victims of violence.
“We will bolster the violence against women and their children programs, including the counselling services for the victims, together with local government units,” he said.
During the 2022 presidential campaign, Marcos Jr. vowed to improve the services of daycare centres in the country to help solo parents.
The President also said his administration would see to it that there will be enough funds for residential care centres in the country which cater to the vulnerable sector.
“We will also ensure that we have enough funds for almost seventy residential care centres and seven non-residential care centres for the vulnerable sectors and pensions with disabilities living there,” he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on Congress to pass a law mandating the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program for senior high school students.
Marcos Jr. proposed that ROTC be part of the senior high school curriculum in all public and private tertiary schools.
“This seeks to reinstitute the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs grades 11 and 12 in all public and private tertiary level educational institutions,” he said.
“The aim is to motivate, train, organise, and mobilise students for national defence preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations,” he added.
Vice President Sara Duterte earlier expressed hopes that the mandatory ROTC training will be included in the priority legislative agenda of the Marcos Jr. administration.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed Monday to establish the Philippines’ own Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and a vaccine institute.
Marcos said the government would implement means to disseminate accurate information regarding Covid-19 as well as the importance of vaccines.
“Together with Congress, we will create a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and a Vaccine Institute,” Marcos said.
Marcos added that his administration would also build hospitals and health centres.
A bill that would create the Philippine Centre for Disease Prevention and Control was recently pushed anew in the House of Representatives.
The bill was filed by Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre.
If the bill is enacted, the centre will absorb several Department of Health (DOH) offices like the Epidemiology Bureau, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Bureau of Quarantine.
There will be no more lockdowns imposed in the country despite the increase in Covid-19 infections, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. pledged.
However, Marcos told the public that the Covid-19 alert level will still remain.
“The state of the nation is sound.”
That is how President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. concluded his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, expressing hope that the Filipino people “will endure” the current crises we are experiencing.
In his speech, Marcos acknowledged the hardships the Filipinos are struggling through because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising prices of basic goods and services.
However, he said he “sees sunlight filtering through these dark clouds,” emphasising that his administration picked “the best of Filipino minds” to address the several crises.
“I know that these past two years have not been easy. However, I also understand that each of you is trying your best to face the current challenges,” Marcos said.
“I do not intend to diminish the risk and challenges that we face in these turbulent times in global history, and yet, I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds,” he added.
“We have assembled the best of Filipino minds to help navigate us to this global crisis that we are now facing. We will endure. Let our Filipino spirit ever remain undimmed,” Marcos further said.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
.jpg)
.jpg)
