PR/via Daniel Manalastas – PTV News
As the Senators backed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will start their first regular session after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) this month, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Chief expects the continuity of the administration’s cornerstone reforms.
“Noong nanalo si President nang 2016 ay kokonti lang po ang mga talagang kakampi niya– ‘yung talagang masasabi mong kasama niya sa partido o koalisyon,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar in a phone patch interview on Wednesday on Radyo Pilipinas.
President Duterte’s bets have since then secured the majority of the positions in both chambers of the 18th Congress. They will begin the first regular session after the SONA on July 22.
Andanar said that the recent midterm elections proved the public’s continued trust in the President.
“Sabi nga nila, ‘super majority’ na ang tawag dito. Kung noong 2016, 2017, at 2018 ay naipatupad po at nasuportahan ang mga legislative agenda ni Presidente eh what more ngayon na buong-buo po ang suporta ng koalisyon kay Presidente sa Kongreso,” he said.
He noted that the last three years of the Duterte administration will ramp up socioeconomic initiatives to mitigate extreme poverty.
These programs, according to Sec. Andanar, are expected to focus on poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, and peace and order–the three cornerstones of the Duterte administration’s priorities.
“Maaasahan po natin for the next three years ay masusuportahan po ang mga programa ni Presidente dahil nga super majority ang mga kakampi natin sa Kongreso,” he said.
“Marami na pong nagawa ang Pangulo pero ano pa ang dapat gawin? Nandyan po ang ating pangako na bumaba ang poverty rate from 21 percent to 14 percent by 2022. Nandyan ‘yung mga imprastrakturang dapat matapos. At nandyan din po ang peace and order na matapos na ang communism insurgency sa countryside,” he added.
“Itong lahat pong ito ay asahan niyong tututukan ng gobyerno…the last three years will be about: first, protecting the Duterte legacy na nagawa na po nang mga nakaraang taon. Secondly, building the final Duterte legacy,” he continued.”
Meanwhile, Sec. Andanar also shared that ahead of the 2019 SONA on July 22, a series of pre-SONA forums will once again be held to highlight the various programs, policies, and accomplishments of the Duterte administration that cannot be substantively covered in the hour-and-a-half SONA.
The Department of Finance (DOF) and Economic Development Cluster have already kicked off the three-part fora on Monday, July 1, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Another forum will be held on July 10 in Cebu by the participatory governance cluster and the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster. The last forum will be held on July 17 in Davao City by the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Risk Reduction Cluster, and the Security, Justice, and Peace Cluster.
