Manila, 22 July 2024 (PNA)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that all Philippine offshore gaming operators  will be banned, saying “this will solve a lot of problems.” He ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to ‘wind down the operations’ of existing POGOs by the end of 2024.

Present on the occasion of President Marcos Jr’s 3rd State of the Nation Address  at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City were former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada; former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; Senate President Chiz Escudero;; members of the Senate; House Speaker Martin Romualdez and members of House of Representatives; Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo; judges of Supreme Court; the Most Reverend Charles John Brown; members of Diplomatic Corps; Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin; members of Cabinet; First Lady, the First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos; and distinguished guests.

President Marcos Jr said that the hard lesson of this last year has made it very clear that whatever current data proudly bannering our country as among the best-performing in Asia, means nothing to a Filipino, who is confronted by the price of rice at 45 to 65 pesos per kilo. Because of compelling emergency reasons, such as illegal price manipulations by hoarders and smuggling, we were constrained to temporarily implement mandated price ceilings on rice. We also extended the reduced tariff rates to facilitate the importation of rice, corn, and pork until the end of this year.

Because of compelling emergency reasons, such as illegal price manipulations by hoarders and smuggling, we were constrained to temporarily implement mandated price ceilings on rice. We also extended the reduced tariff rates to facilitate the importation of rice, corn, and pork until the end of this year. Through modernized customs procedures and heightened enforcement efforts, more than 2.7 billion pesos worth of smuggled agri-fisheries products have been seized, preventing them from entering the market and negatively influencing prices.

Soon, we will be implementing the pre-border technical verification and cross-border electronic invoicing of import commodities. This will send a strong message that we mean serious business.

To reduce unnecessary business costs, local government units no longer collect fees and charges from motorists transporting goods and merchandise while passing through national roads. On the same principle, LGUs have been strongly urged to refrain from collecting similar fees for the use of local roads. Moving forward, irrigation dams will supplement all our other bulk water projects to ensure water security for our people, especially in the underserved areas. As we can see in all the world, weather events are, as predicted, getting more extreme, such as torrential rains that instantly shift to scorching heat waves — or vice- versa. Our country’s geographical location makes us highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Precisely because of our inherent vulnerability, we are proactive advocates for heightened climate responsibility and justice on the global stage. To this end, we have secured a seat on the Board of the Loss and Damage Fund. Further, the Philippines has also been selected as host country to that fund.

This will require an enabling law from Congress to confer the legal personality and capacity to the Board. This welcome development shall complement all our climate adaptation and mitigation measures, and give us a strong voice to access the needed financial assistance for climate-related initiatives and impacts.

Within the past two years, almost a hundred evacuation centers have already been built. While in January of this year, we started the operations of our Disaster Response Command Center, which shall serve as the central hub for the government’s disaster response efforts.

As we enter the mid-term, our infrastructure development remains sustained, strategic, and on schedule. Aside from agriculture and disaster risk, our other vital sectors and pillars — such as education, health, energy, low-cost housing, transport, information technology — they all stand to benefit from our aggressive infrastructure development, as befitting our upper middle-income economic target.

With the results that we have seen two years into this Administration, we can claim that despite challenges, we are steadily progressing towards our targets in the medium-term.

Our power and internet services are continuously being upgraded in both capacity and connectivity. As part of our internet infrastructure development, phase 1 of the National Fiber Backbone has been completed and operationalized. Phases 2 and 3 have already begun early this year, and shall be completed by 2026. This fiber backbone will give us sufficient capacity in terms of bandwidth.

As of 2022, only seventy-seven percent or 20.6 million households were connected to the Internet. This is much too low.

Together with our private sector partners, we will efficiently harness the concept of common towers to provide connectivity to Filipinos who are at the far end of the last mile. Expect full government support to ensure the successful completion of this critical project, including policy reforms and streamlined processes. [applause]

Bigger and faster IT infrastructures require stronger and more impervious cyber-defense. Our recently launched National Cybersecurity Plan lays down the blueprint for us to safeguard our systems against cyberattacks.

With this said, I have directed the agencies concerned to ensure that the speed and quality of our IT development always mirrors the pace and trajectory of our economic aspirations.

As energy projects get completed and new investments pour into the sector, we expect our nation’s power supply to increase at a steady pace to meet our growing demand in the next few years. Nonetheless, we are continuously diagnosing and urgently addressing power shortages, as well as the systemic causes of blackouts in unserved and underserved areas.

Running through Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan, the newly inaugurated Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose transmission line will further strengthen the reliability of the Luzon power grid.

In the Visayas, all stages of the Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project have likewise been completed. This project shall serve to stabilize the power situation in Western and Central Visayas, and avert recurrences of power outages experienced in the past.

And just last week, the Dumanjug-Corella Line of the Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project was energized, enabling the transfer of power between Cebu and Bohol.

With these systems currently operating at capacity, these major power lines shall contribute to the efficient power exchanges not only between Luzon and the Visayas, but also involving Mindanao. Energy sharing and transfers between, among, and within the three island groups have now been made possible with the energization last January of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection. 

The energization of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection is a defining moment not only for the power sector but for the entire country. Finally, we have connected the power grids of all three major island groups.

The “unified Philippine Grid” is a fulfillment of the dream, whose seeds were planted in the 80s, through a vision bolstered by R&D, which we accomplished by applying typical Filipino persistence and dedication.

As of May this year, twelve thousand kilometers worth of roads and more than one thousand two hundred bridges have been built and upgraded across the country. Of note, we have provided the budget to upgrade three hundred sixty-seven bridges and almost one thousand six hundred kilometers of road along our country’s longest thoroughfare — the Maharlika Highway — from Luzon all the way to Mindanao.

Moreover, significant segments of major expressways, which are part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, have now been opened to the public.

The C-LEX, NLEX-SLEX Connector, and the Plaridel Bypass will be fully completed by the end of this year. [applause] CALAX and the C5 South Link will be fully operational by next year.

Under our Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program, we expect two major bridges to be opened to motorists this year. One is the Panguil Bay Bridge — touted as the longest water-spanning bridge in Northern Mindanao. This bridge will connect Lanao del Norte to Misamis Occidental. The other is the Guicam Bridge in Zamboanga Sibugay, which shall connect Olutanga Island to the mainland of Mindanao.

In addition, travel to and from Clark Airport is now much faster and more convenient, with the inauguration of the twenty-kilometer Airport-New Clark City Access Road in Pampanga.

We are in the midst as well of a “railway renaissance”. The Metro Manila Subway Project has logged significant accomplishments in its tunneling works.  Other railway projects, such as the MRT-7 and the North- South Commuter Railway, are likewise progressing.

We will make sure that the right of way issues are resolved in the most equitable, efficient, and expeditious manner, so that these will not get in the way of our infrastructure development. Soon, it will be capable of accommodating 48 flights per hour, servicing our ever-increasing local and international flight routes, and catering to more than 62 million passengers per year.

More than seventy airport and seaport development projects across the country have been completed, and another three hundred and fifty ongoing projects are set to be completed by 2028. [applause]

Notably, the capacities of the Passenger Terminal Buildings of the General Santos Airport and the Bicol International Airport have been expanded by three hundred and five hundred percent, now catering to two thousand and one thousand six hundred passengers, respectively. Meanwhile, the Batangas Port PTB, our popular marine gateway to MIMAROPA, the Visayas and to Mindanao, can now accommodate eight thousand travelers at any given time.

Thanks to Congress, the Public-Private Partnership, as a crucial funding mechanism for big-ticket projects, is now institutionalized by force of law. [applause] PPP is seen to facilitate strategic investments and the timely development of projects under our Build Better More program, especially since around one-fourth of our flagship projects have been envisioned to be funded through this modality.

As a perfect example, the NAIA PPP will go down in our history not only as among the largest and fastest approved PPP, but one that has set the bar in terms of openness, transparency, and competitiveness of the process.

Through this partnership, our foremost aerial gateway is now primed for a revitalization. Once considered among the worst and most stressful airports in the world, it will soon be a world-class international airport that we can be proud of. [applause]

Even before that, the UP-PGH Cancer Center is the first PPP to be approved in this Administration.

Together with the Philippine Cancer Center of the DOH, which broke ground last March, these two specialty hospitals will soon join our nation’s fight against cancer. These Centers will be a godsend to the more than four hundred thousand Filipinos who are afflicted with this deadly disease.

Aside from our aggressive hiring efforts, we have enhanced medical and allied health programs, allocated seed funds for public medical schools, and launched scholarships, and review and upskilling programs. These are to support the medical and nursing professions, with the goal to strengthen and increase our human resources for health.

As part of our recalibrated health approach towards prevention and healthy habits, we are prioritizing vaccinations, nutrition, mental well-being, and active and healthy lifestyles.  Our convergent programs to stamp out hunger and malnutrition were not only successfully launched, but have yielded inspiring results thus far.

One survey confirmed that our expanded School-Based Feeding Program has had a significant impact on the physical and mental well-being of more than half of the learner-beneficiaries. Therefore, we will continue to further enhance these feeding programs in our schools and day-care centers. [applause]

The recently launched “Walang Gutom 2027” will be fully rolled out from the initial two thousand three hundred households, now all the way to three hundred thousand food-poor households across the country by the end of the year. But the program will go on until we feed the one million most food-poor families by 2027.

An important component of our strategies to address malnutrition shall be the program for the “First One Thousand Days,” or the first two years of a child’s life.

To ensure the health and nutrition of children zero to two years old from the poorest families, we have proposed in the 2025 Budget a new grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for this purpose. Closely related to these, the DOST has been continuously undertaking scientific research to develop nutritious food and drinks, which can be integrated into the government’s feeding program.

Government is aware of the pressing yet delicate social issues of the day, such as the mental well-being of our people. The DOH has launched its comprehensive mental health plan and ensured sufficient supply of medications. PhilHealth has also released this year its mental health benefit package for all its members.

Grassroots and sports-for-all programs are back in the mainstream again, catering to Filipinos of all ages. We will continue to support these health-enhancing sports programs. Through these, we also set forth our youth on the same well-established path that has taken some of our national champions and renowned athletes to sporting greatness.

To the twenty-eight of our finest athletes are competing in Paris now for the glory of the Philippines.  Let us wish them well and the best good luck.

In its report, the World Bank revealed that our promising economic growth is largely attributable to our people. The great bulk of the country’s wealth is being created by the skill, industry, and resourcefulness of all Filipinos.

We must harness the totality of the Filipino’s potential. Thus, for consecutive years, we have prioritized an increase in budget for the inclusive development of Filipinos. Not just in food, nutrition and health, but more so, in their education and training.

Recent assessments have revealed the poor reality that more than half of our grades 6, 10, and 12 students have failed to reach the ideal proficiency levels, faring low in information literacy, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Therefore, our national learning recovery program must proceed without the slightest disruption, especially in basic education. Our system of education must be strategically calibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate. But, it must also consciously develop them into problem-solvers, and into critical thinkers — hungry for success; ready for the future!

Similarly, as we relentlessly address the classroom gap, the digital gap must also be bridged with equal intensity. We are working towards the day when all students will be equipped with computers, smart TVs, essential programs, digital books — and once again, access to reliable power and the Internet.

Digitalization and solar-powered electricity must now be standard features in our schools and in our classrooms. Simply put, this is educational reform through technology.

The perennial problem surrounding textbooks shall be resolved. The production of instructional materials, especially textbooks, which are up-to-date and error-free, must be ensured. The whole process, from approval of manuscript to procurement, all the way to distribution, will be cut short from its present three years to just one year. 

We must harness the totality of the Filipino’s potential. Thus, for consecutive years, we have prioritized an increase in budget for the inclusive development of Filipinos. Not just in food, nutrition and health, but moreso, in their education and training.

Recent assessments have revealed the poor reality that more than half of our grades 6, 10, and 12 students have failed to reach the ideal proficiency levels, faring low in information literacy, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Therefore, our national learning recovery program must proceed without the slightest disruption, especially in basic education.

Our system of education must be strategically calibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate. But, it must also consciously develop them into problem-solvers, and into critical thinkers — hungry for success; ready for the future!

Similarly, as we relentlessly address the classroom gap, the digital gap must also be bridged with equal intensity. We are working towards the day when all students will be equipped with computers, smart TVs, essential programs, digital books — and once again, access to reliable power and the Internet.

Digitalization and solar-powered electricity must now be standard features in our schools and in our classrooms. Simply put, this is educational reform through technology.

The perennial problem surrounding textbooks shall be resolved.

The production of instructional materials, especially textbooks, which are up-to-date and error-free, must be ensured. The whole process, from approval of manuscript to procurement, all the way to distribution, will be cut short from its present three years to just one year. 

Clearly, the quality of our education rests on the quality of our teachers. Every classroom that we build will be but an empty and lifeless structure without its moving force — the teacher.

But our teachers are not just perfunctory figures in our schools; they are the very foundation of our educational system. And so, as we build and upgrade schools, so too must we uplift and upskill our teachers, whose competence and trademark Filipino patience, determination, and compassion will be at the core of our national learning recovery.

Of equal significance, we have allocated funds to finally implement the expanded career progression system for our public school teachers. This will promote professional development and career advancement within their ranks. This expanded system lays out two major career paths for our teachers to pursue: the teaching and the school administration tracks, each of which shall have ample career growth opportunities.

With this system in place, we will accelerate the career growth of teachers. Last year, we reported that our system of higher education was gaining international recognition for all the right reasons. As further evidence, eighty-seven of our Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) have now made it into various world university rankings. Fifty-one of them are public universities or colleges.

Also, we witnessed this past school year a significant rise in the enrollment rate in higher education, both in public and private institutions. The same upward trend is likewise noted in technical-vocational education and training (TVET).

Statistics do not lie. Eight out of ten graduates of TVET ultimately land decent jobs. So with its high employability rate, TVET will definitely be instrumental in capacitating our people, and in maintaining our employment rate at consistently high levels.

Cognizant of its potential, the DepEd, CHED, DOLE, and TESDA have joined forces now to incorporate TVET in the Senior High School curriculum to further boost the employability of our students. [applause]

The Filipinnovation and Malikhaing Pinoy programs have been launched, both drawing vast interest and inspiring key sectors and the public to generate solutions, to share ideas, and to drive innovation forward across the country.

The IT and creative sectors are burgeoning industries, knowing no territorial bounds, and they hold great promise for our talented and hardworking people.

This is the call of our times, and we are moving to answer that call.

The schools will serve as the preeminent incubators of the innovative and creative energies of all Filipinos.

Advanced learning systems and technologies, in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, shall be made available in TVET Innovation Centers nationwide. Highly technical and professional-level training courses will soon be launched, notably in cybersecurity and in the creative industries.

Of our globally ranked HEIs, sixty-three have made it into the WURI Global Top 300 innovative universities. [applause]

In the face of tough global competition, the Mabalacat City College in Pampanga was awarded the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year. [applause] And for the second straight year, Samar State University topped the rankings for its digitally pioneering R&D project entries. [applause]

Relevant scholarships and R&D grants will continue to be available, aligned with our agenda to foster start-ups. To commercialize and mass produce R&D outputs, crucial support, such as intellectual property rights enforcement, and venture financing, have been put in place.

We are also building essential infrastructure and linkages to support the ethical development of artificial intelligence systems for high-impact practical applications.

Since the nation’s foray into space technology, our satellites in space have generated more than fifty-one thousand maps, images and space-borne data for various purposes. These now provide us with vital information that guides our country’s stratagems and decision-making in agricultural development, urban planning and environmental management, including the strengthening of our maritime domain awareness, to name but a few examples.

Along with these discoveries, we are likewise in awe of our countrymen who have carved out their niche as pioneering space scientists and engineers in this emergent field, in collaboration with local space technology companies that provide an additional impetus.

As we speak, sixteen of our space engineers are in the United Kingdom resuming work on the development of a Multi-Spectral Unit for Land Assessment, or the MULA satellite. Once completed, the MULA satellite will be our largest earth observation satellite to be launched into space so far. 

May they inspire the next generation of Filipino students to follow in their footsteps and reach for the stars! [applause]

Our employment rate has increased to 95.9%. [applause] We also saw a significant increase in high-quality jobs. Underemployment too has decreased from 11.7% in May of 2023 to 9.9% today. [applause] This is our lowest since 2005. 

Notably, we also saw an increase in middle-skilled employment, wage and salaried employment, and full-time jobs.

Last year, we reported that our system of higher education was gaining international recognition for all the right reasons. As further evidence, eighty-seven of our Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) have now made it into various world university rankings. Fifty-one of them are public universities or colleges.

Also, we witnessed this past school year a significant rise in the enrollment rate in higher education, both in public and private institutions. The same upward trend is likewise noted in technical-vocational education and training (TVET).

Statistics do not lie. Eight out of ten graduates of TVET ultimately land decent jobs. So with its high employability rate, TVET will definitely be instrumental in capacitating our people, and in maintaining our employment rate at consistently high levels.

Cognizant of its potential, the DepEd, CHED, DOLE, and TESDA have joined forces now to incorporate TVET in the Senior High School curriculum to further boost the employability of our students. [applause]

The Filipinnovation and Malikhaing Pinoy programs have been launched, both drawing vast interest and inspiring key sectors and the public to generate solutions, to share ideas, and to drive innovation forward across the country.

The IT and creative sectors are burgeoning industries, knowing no territorial bounds, and they hold great promise for our talented and hardworking people.

This is the call of our times, and we are moving to answer that call.

The schools will serve as the preeminent incubators of the innovative and creative energies of all Filipinos.

Advanced learning systems and technologies, in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, shall be made available in TVET Innovation Centers nationwide. Highly technical and professional-level training courses will soon be launched, notably in cybersecurity and in the creative industries.

Of our globally ranked HEIs, sixty-three have made it into the WURI Global Top 300 innovative universities. [applause]

In the face of tough global competition, the Mabalacat City College in Pampanga was awarded the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year. [applause] And for the second straight year, Samar State University topped the rankings for its digitally pioneering R&D project entries. [applause]

Relevant scholarships and R&D grants will continue to be available, aligned with our agenda to foster start-ups. To commercialize and mass produce R&D outputs, crucial support, such as intellectual property rights enforcement, and venture financing, have been put in place.

We are also building essential infrastructure and linkages to support the ethical development of artificial intelligence systems for high-impact practical applications.

Since the nation’s foray into space technology, our satellites in space have generated more than fifty-one thousand maps, images and space-borne data for various purposes. These now provide us with vital information that guides our country’s stratagems and decision-making in agricultural development, urban planning and environmental management, including the strengthening of our maritime domain awareness, to name but a few examples.

Along with these discoveries, we are likewise in awe of our countrymen who have carved out their niche as pioneering space scientists and engineers in this emergent field, in collaboration with local space technology companies that provide an additional impetus.

As we speak, sixteen of our space engineers are in the United Kingdom resuming work on the development of a Multi-Spectral Unit for Land Assessment, or the MULA satellite. Once completed, the MULA satellite will be our largest earth observation satellite to be launched into space so far. 

May they inspire the next generation of Filipino students to follow in their footsteps and reach for the stars! 

Our employment rate has increased to 95.9%. [applause] We also saw a significant increase in high-quality jobs. Underemployment too has decreased from 11.7% in May of 2023 to 9.9% today. [applause] This is our lowest since 2005.  Notably, we also saw an increase in middle-skilled employment, wage and salaried employment, and full-time jobs.

Our adaptive and responsive social protection programs assist our countrymen in times of dire need, reaching those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. More importantly, these programs seek to develop their productive potential and bridge their capacities towards self-sufficiency.

With the noble aim of breaking the cycle of poverty across the country, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program has not only consistently accomplished its annual targets- it has also proven its efficacy over the years.

Tomorrow — the birthdate of Apolinario Mabini — we cap off National Disability Rights Week. Our PWDs can rest assured of government’s effective implementation of beneficial policies and programs that will guarantee equitable opportunities, special interventions, and incentives for them.

With tripartite consensus, minimum wage levels have been increased in various sectors in all regions, including the BARMM, for workers in private establishments.

Furthermore, we have extended the services of our job order and contract of service personnel working in government. [applause] This will also afford them ample opportunity to work on their civil service eligibilities, while gaining additional relevant experience and training to upgrade their employment qualifications.

Our aggressive infrastructure development, business-friendly policies, investment and export promotions, foreign visits, and economic missions, are all aimed at generating not just jobs, but quality and competitive jobs.

A substantial number of investment pledges have already commenced operations, with many more at various stages of development. Sa bilang natin, bukod sa malaking kita para sa bansa, makakalikha ang mga ito ng mahigit dalawang-daan at dalawang libong trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan. [applause]

The rationalized incentives scheme under the CREATE Act has also made possible the generation of investments amounting to more than one trillion pesos, and more than a hundred thousand new jobs. This promising state of affairs is now beckoning us to create more — through the passage of the CREATE MORE Act. [applause]

Conscious efforts to improve the ease of doing business and delivering government services, through digitalization, integration, and streamlining of processes, have produced their intended multiplier effects. Cost savings from operations have translated to higher revenues and to more speedy transactions.

These have effectively addressed the fragmented, overlapping, and time-consuming procedures that had hindered optimal productivity in government.

Attributable to these transformative reforms, government services are becoming more efficient.

More and more systems are now digital and cashless, assimilating individuals, MSMEs, and even agricultural workers. These have expedited transactions and commercial exchanges and promoted the convenience of all parties concerned.

Furthermore, we have extended the services of our job order and contract of service personnel working in government. [applause] This will also afford them ample opportunity to work on their civil service eligibilities, while gaining additional relevant experience and training to upgrade their employment qualifications.

Our aggressive infrastructure development, business-friendly policies, investment and export promotions, foreign visits, and economic missions, are all aimed at generating not just jobs, but quality and competitive jobs.

A substantial number of investment pledges have already commenced operations, with many more at various stages of development. Sa bilang natin, bukod sa malaking kita para sa bansa, makakalikha ang mga ito ng mahigit dalawang-daan at dalawang libong trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan. [applause]

The rationalized incentives scheme under the CREATE Act has also made possible the generation of investments amounting to more than one trillion pesos, and more than a hundred thousand new jobs. This promising state of affairs is now beckoning us to create more — through the passage of the CREATE MORE Act. [applause]

Conscious efforts to improve the ease of doing business and delivering government services, through digitalization, integration, and streamlining of processes, have produced their intended multiplier effects. Cost savings from operations have translated to higher revenues and to more speedy transactions.

These have effectively addressed the fragmented, overlapping, and time-consuming procedures that had hindered optimal productivity in government.

Attributable to these transformative reforms, government services are becoming more efficient.

More and more systems are now digital and cashless, assimilating individuals, MSMEs, and even agricultural workers. These have expedited transactions and commercial exchanges and promoted the convenience of all parties concerned.

Ang Palen-QR ay isa sa mga programang unti-unting lumalakas ang hatak sa publiko at dumarami ang gumagamit.

Bolstering our Cybercrime Prevention Act, the recently passed Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act will further protect the public by heightening the responsibility and security systems of banks and financial institutions, and imposing high criminal liabilities on social engineering schemes and money mules.

Job placement also has seen significant progress, especially through our Public Employment Service Offices (or PESOs) nationwide. PESOs have harnessed IT capabilities and improved labor-industry coordination. Collectively, they boast a job placement success rate of ninety-eight percent. [applause]

Likewise, due to shortened timelines, we have recorded a significant increase in new business and corporate registrations, including foreign firms, which surpassed last year’s numbers.

The observed chokepoints in our food supply chains and in the logistics sector are now being removed. And, at the same time, the identified gaps are being filled in, to make them efficient, interconnected, and seamless, saving precious time and cost.

The approval of energy projects is moving towards complete virtual integration of its required procedures. The expedited processing of our infrastructure flagship projects under the Build Better More program shall also follow suit.

Our digital infrastructure was substantially strengthened courtesy of common towers that more than tripled in number since last year, owing to streamlining of permitting requirements.

Air transport and tourism have been made more convenient, because of the shift to paperless immigration and customs forms, thanks to the E-Travel system. Soon, the piloted E-Gates will be standard fixtures at airports, to further facilitate ease of mobility during departures and arrivals.

With all these said, the implementation of the Philippine E-Visa will be next in our digital transformation agenda. [applause]

Let us now go to tourism, because we, in the Philippines, have no less than seven thousand six hundred forty-one beautiful reasons to tap the potential of our tourism sector, for which our archipelagic nation is internationally renowned and from which many Filipinos derive their livelihood.

While a resurgence in this all-important sector is being observed, pre-pandemic data present to us a great challenge that we must surpass.

It is a challenge that is well within our grasp.

Our infrastructure and digital reforms, through development of tourism sites and the enhancement of the overall tourist experience, are all calculated to boost the productivity of the tourism sector. While doing so, we shall interpose the wholesome and hospitable Filipino brand in all the key tourism touchpoints — from tourist arrival all the way to departure.

But the tourism challenge has already evolved, and now requires a multi-faceted strategy. The focus is now on “experiential tourism”.

Food, culture, heritage and the arts, education, halal and Islamic traditions, dive, cruise, farm and eco-tourism, even sports, now have become potent subjects and products of a nation’s tourism.

This is an imperative that we elevate and expand our understanding of the “one town, one product”, or OTOP, concept. It must not inhibit, but rather, inspire. We must not rest content to have just “one”. Rather, we must seek the “optimal” number of high-quality products and services, which at the same time showcase our community’s distinctive history, traditions, and talents.

Filipino creativity and ingenuity will enliven and unlock the as yet untapped potential of these new facets of Philippine tourism.

Through vital partnerships with like-minded states, we have been able to promote our mutual interests, resulting not only in investments here and our strengthened national security, but also in quality jobs for our nationals seeking foreign employment.

Through intense Philippine lobbying, the United Nations has adopted the resolution on “Promoting and Protecting the Enjoyment of Human Rights of Seafarers.” This will ensure their safe and decent living and working conditions at sea — a human rights imperative.

For this, we convey our sincerest gratitude to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Lessons from history and current events teach us that peace and order is an essential ingredient of genuine prosperity and social development.

This is the path that we choose to take. Despite difficulties, despite our diversity and differences as a people, we are joined together by a unique history, and have constantly invested our energies and resources in strengthening the pillars of peace.

Our police, military, and coast guard undergo continuous capacity-building and asset-upgrading, so that they are better able to preserve the peace and defend our territory.

We have noted an overall decrease in crime rate and an improvement in crime-solution efficiency. [applause] But this is not enough. Our law enforcers need to earn the trust of our people.

The strong pillars of our criminal justice system, especially in light of the new rules on criminal investigation, and our independent Judiciary, function in unison.

In tandem with the justice system, COA’s audit mechanism works in harmony with our transparency, streamlining, and open government initiatives. All in all, these successfully foster a culture of accountability that curbs corruption in government.

With the newly-enacted Republic Act No. 12009 that I signed just last Saturday, government procurement will be modern and innovative, more streamlined and efficient, and truly at par with global best practices. [applause]

We sincerely thank Congress for its timely and decisive action in amending the twenty-year old law.

We have come a long way in our quest for a lasting and inclusive peace.

No guerilla fronts remain active across the country today. Only seven weakened groups remain to be dismantled, and they are the subject of focused operations. But along with the assertion of government might, we also offer peace, community development, and reintegration programs for those who have returned to the fold of the law.

Through a comprehensive and transformative approach, we have rebuilt not only lives, but also conflict-affected communities.

The implementation of peace agreements is now in its concluding phase. Former combatants now live peaceful and productive lives in their respective communities. Some of our former rebels are now absorbed into the AFP, serving in the defense of our Republic; while others are now part of the PNP BARMM.

Government will honor and fully comply with its remaining deliverables and commitments under these agreements. [applause]

In November last year, we signed proclamations granting amnesty to former rebels. A month later, and then in June of this year, the House of Representatives and the Senate issued their respective resolutions concurring with these amnesty proclamations.

That Congress is one with us, is a testament to the whole nation’s sincere desire for peace.

In such a short period, the BARMM has impressively established the strong foundation for its progressive autonomous social development.

Investments continue to pour into the BARMM. Last year, investments in the region increased by one hundred forty percent year-on-year.

The improved peace and order situation, good governance — not to mention high hopes and confidence amongst its people — all contribute to the reasons why BARMM’s poverty index has significantly decreased since 2018. [applause]

In Marawi, the rehabilitation and rebuilding continue — under the supervision now of the Office of the President. [applause] Our focus remains on restoring energy, water, and livable communities.

As of today, all seven inter-governmental mechanisms of the BARMM, as mandated under the Organic Law, have been organized and activated. These will guarantee effective and constant consultation between the Bangsamoro and the National Governments in the fundamental aspects of governance.

Five out of the seven essential laws for the BARMM have already been enacted by the BTA Parliament. Now, it has its own Administrative Code, it has its own Local Government Code, Election Code, and those for Education and the Civil Service as well.

With these inspiring developments, the BARMM appears primed and ready for its first regular elections – the first ones that they will have – in the coming year. [applause]

On the fight against dangerous drugs, our bloodless war on dangerous drugs adheres, and will continue to adhere, to the established “8 Es” of an effective anti-illegal drugs strategy. Extermination was never one of them. [applause]

Yet, in more than seventy-one thousand five hundred operations, it has resulted in the seizure of more than forty-four billion pesos worth of illegal drugs, and the arrest of more than ninety-seven thousand drug personalities.

More than six thousand of those arrested were high-value targets. Four hundred forty of them were government employees, of whom forty-two were uniformed personnel. Seventy-seven were elected officials. [applause]

So to further paralyze their operations, dirty money and assets worth more than five hundred million pesos have been frozen and preserved. With strong case build-up and efficient prosecution, the drug conviction rate is at a high of seventy-nine percent. [applause]

Together with this, we welcome the report that the number of drug-affected barangays in our country has been reduced by thirty-two percent. [applause]

In our international relations we have faced challenges to our territorial sovereignty, we will assert our rights and interests in the same fair and pacific way that we have always done. [applause] Proper diplomatic channels and mechanisms under the rules-based international order remain the only acceptable means of settling disputes.

Peace and community-building will always be our clarion call, especially when the country serves as chair and the host of the ASEAN Summit in 2026.

We continuously try to find ways to de-escalate tensions in contested areas with our counterparts, without compromising our position and our principles. I know that our neighbors too are doing their very best to make this work.

The Philippines cannot yield. The Philippines cannot waver. [applause]

We are now more conscious as a people, and strategic in heightening our aerial and maritime domain awareness. We are continuing to strengthen our defense in posture, both through developing self-reliance and through partnerships with like-minded states.

Laws on our Maritime Zones and Archipelagic Sea Lanes make sure that this intergenerational mandate — this duty — will firmly take root in the hearts and minds of all our people.

Let us now turn to our Economic Status and Prospects. In spite of the headwinds that we have faced, we stayed the course. The country exhibits healthy signs of post-pandemic resilience comparable to strong economies in our region.

Our poverty rate has significantly dropped to 15.5%, down from 18% in 2021. This present figure is even lower than the pre-pandemic level of 16.7% in 2018. 

To sustain the country’s economic gains, we are promoting investment-led growth. We have set in motion policies and programs to create an environment conducive for businesses to thrive, like reforms in the capital markets, and implementation of “green lanes”.

As a result, we have “green-lane certified” around a hundred projects with a total investment of about three trillion pesos across the sectors of renewable energy, digital infrastructure, food security, and manufacturing.

The Philippine financial system remains robust and resilient. Tax and non-tax revenue collection was also efficient, in pace with our rejuvenated economy. Notably, for the past two years, our GOCCs have remitted dividends to the National Government with a combined tally exceeding their contributions in 2022. [applause]

To build on these, and guided by strong fiscal discipline, our proposed government budget for this year was crafted with utmost care, diligence, and meticulous attention.

We look to the cooperation of our colleagues in the Legislature, not only that our proposed National Budget be approved in your usual timely manner, but it be adhered to as closely as possible.

We expect all agencies to ensure that every centavo allocated will be judiciously spent for our urgent priorities and socially impactful programs.

Effective today, all POGOs are banned. I hereby instruct PAGCOR to wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.  The DOLE, in coordination with our economic managers, shall use the time between now and then to find new jobs for our countrymen who will be displaced. 

This will solve many of the problems that we are encountering. It will solve many of the problems that we have been encountering, but it will not solve all of them.

To solve all the problems that we have been suffering under, all officials, law enforcers, workers in government and most of all the citizenry must always be vigilant, principled, and think of the health of the nation.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let me end by recalling the words of a great man: Let not anyone pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.

He is not a good man-  he is not a good man who without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name.

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