Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to end poverty, rein in soaring food prices and boost renewable energy as he unveiled an ambitious blueprint for his six-year term.
In his first State of the Union address, Marcos Jr. offered a long list of goals ranging from getting children back into the classroom to reducing farmers’ debt burden to expanding Internet access.
Unlike his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who, in a stream of consciousness, frequently deviated from the script and threatened people’s deaths, Marcos Jr. stuck to a prepared speech that was methodical and numbers-heavy.
After inheriting an economy ravaged by Covid-19 lockdowns and inflation, the new president has expressed cautious optimism about the future – even as the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions push up food and fuel prices.
“I do not intend to belittle the risks and challenges we face at this turbulent time in world history,” he told an audience of lawmakers, diplomats and judges.
“And yet I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds. We have assembled the best Filipino minds to navigate us through this time of global crisis.”
Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator, spoke for 74 minutes without mentioning human rights, corruption or peace talks with militant groups.
Instead, the 64-year-old focused on the economy, clean energy, agriculture and helping poor Filipinos.
Marcos Jr. pledged to halve the poverty rate to single digits by the end of his term and offer many farmers financial relief, including debt forgiveness.
Renewable energy is “high on our climate agenda,” he said, insisting it was time to reconsider building nuclear power plants in the disaster-prone country.
He also promised to increase agricultural productivity and reduce food prices.
“It won’t be done in a day, a month, or a year. But we have to start now,” he said.
– Peaceful Rallies –
Marcos Jr. swept to power in a landslide in the May 9 elections, completing his family’s remarkable comeback from pariahs in exile to the height of political power.
Hours before his speech, several thousand protesters peacefully marched down a main street to oppose his victory and to criticize his first weeks in office.
“He just sits around, busy revising history instead of doing the urgent work of halting the rising cost of commodities, especially food, redistributing land to farmers and raising workers’ wages,” he said Angelo Suarez, who volunteers with a farm workers’ union.
Thousands of Marcos Jr. supporters also gathered outside of Congress, wearing red, his campaign color, waving the Philippine flag and holding signs with slogans such as “Progress.”
Congressman Ralph Recto said the new president’s speech was “bold, not boring” and gave the country a “fiscal reality check.”
The higher cost of living is exacerbating the financial plight of millions of Filipinos who are already struggling to support their families.
The central bank recently hiked interest rates for the third straight month as it struggles to contain rising energy prices.
Inflation reached 6.1 percent in June, the highest level in almost four years.
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