Tracking Marcos administration’s progress in the first half

Later today at the Batasang Pambansa, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), which comes at the midpoint of his six-year term.

With only three years left, expectations are mounting for the Marcos administration to show results of its earlier commitments and present concrete plans on how it intends to address ongoing national issues.

Although the Palace has kept specific points under wraps, the public is expecting the President to lay out how his administration plans to manage inflation, encourage employment, and push through infrastructure projects that remain unfinished or delayed.

Meanwhile, a report from Vera Files shows that only 42 out of 165 promises made across his first three SONAs have been completed. 91 are listed as in progress; another 28 are stalled; while four are found to have failed entirely.

Advancing economic growth

Mr. Marcos has achieved more in the economic sector, fulfilling 11 or roughly 35% of 31 promises in the past three SONAs. 11 others are under way, five have stalled in Congress, and five remain unfulfilled.

The administration set a goal of growing the economy by 6.5%-8% annually until the term ends. While gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.6% in 2022, it slowed to 5.6% in both 2023 and 2024. The 2024 Philippine Development Report (PDR) cited weak global demand and sector-specific challenges as factors behind sluggish performance.

Inflation, on the other hand, eased to 3.9% in May 2024, within the government’s target of 2%-4%. However, food inflation remained high at 6.1% due to weather-related supply disruptions and external pressures. In response, the administration reduced tariffs on imported rice and removed some trade barriers to stabilize prices.

Despite underwhelming economic performance, the administration kept the national deficit and debt levels within targets. The fiscal deficit narrowed to 5.1% of GDP in 2024, while debt-to-GDP ratio stayed close to 60%.

On infrastructure, only three of the 16 major promises made in SONAs are found to have been completed as of last June. Ten are still being worked on, and three are stalled. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways reports that eight out of 207 flagship projects have been completed under the Marcos administration, part of a broader pipeline worth $178 billion. At least 70 are ongoing, and 23 have been approved for rollout. The rest are still awaiting final clearances or are under preparation.

Promoting quality labor and education

Unemployment in the Philippines dropped since Mr. Marcos took office in 2022, but the quality of jobs and wage levels remain uneven, especially outside city areas.

Based on the data shared by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there were 2.93 million unemployed Filipinos just before Marcos assumed office. Underemployment showed signs of improvement from 6.67 million in May 2022 to 4.82 million in May 2024. However, the number climbed to 6.6 million this year.

According to the PDR 2024, salaried jobs in private establishments made up 50.7% of total employment — slightly below the government’s 50.9-51.5% target. Wage quality remains inconsistent across sectors, particularly outside urban centers.

In the education sector, the national education budget exceeded P1 trillion under the 2025 General Appropriations Act. Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the record-breaking budget was allocated to “boost growth and inclusion,” with a focus on curriculum improvements and educational quality.

Investing in social development

Data from the PSA show a slight drop in poverty from 23.7% in 2021 to 22.4% in 2023. Subsistence poverty also declined from 9.9% to 8.7% during the same period.

The flagship Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program received a P106.3 billion budget this year to assist 4.4 million families. As of the first quarter of 2024, it reached 98% of its annual target.

To alleviate hunger and malnutrition, the administration launched the “Walang Gutom 2027” Food Stamp Program. The pilot phase began in December 2023 and served 2,366 households.

The government also expanded the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty, signing new orders to boost coordination among agencies. As of May 2024, 122 community-based organizations secured P207 million worth of supply contracts under the program.

Mr. Marcos has repeatedly expressed his goal of bringing rice prices down to P20 per kilo since his 2022 campaign. While this price point is available in Kadiwa stores, the market price of commercial rice in Metro Manila remains far above the target, ranging between P38 to P57 per kilo. The government continues to expand the Kadiwa program, but broader measures to reduce farm input costs and improve local production have yet to fully materialize.

Mr. Marcos, who also served as Agriculture secretary from July 2022 to November 2023, said boosting local production is key to lowering food costs. But the slow pace of reforms and high dependence on imports continue to challenge food affordability.

In healthcare, the Department of Health (DoH) increased its budget by 15% from 2022 to 2024, while new health facilities opened nationwide. More than 6,000 Health Facilities Enhancement Program projects were completed, including 218 new Super Health Centers and 23 Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Centers.

PhilHealth also introduced benefit expansions to cover more treatments and lower costs for patients. This included improved dialysis coverage, increased outpatient drug access under the “GAMOT” program.

However, the country still faces a shortage of doctors, nurses, and midwives. As of mid-2024, the healthcare system was short of nearly 200,000 workers needed to meet sustainable development goals, according to the DoH.

Meanwhile, the government spent heavily on housing construction and financing. Since July 2022, P11.59 billion has been allocated to build over 66,000 homes. Another P241 billion went to the Pag-IBIG Fund to help more than 189,000 families either buy or improve homes.

The administration’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino program received a P250 billion credit line from Pag-IBIG, with P7.24 billion already approved for nine developments.

Informal settlers also received support through housing agencies like the National Housing Authority and the Social Housing Finance Corp. Nearly 32,000 housing units were completed under their resettlement programs, with P6.34 billion in total assistance.

Other Accomplishments

The Marcos administration has checked off some major promises midway through his term, including shutting down offshore gaming hubs and enacting a law to regulate online business.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. confirmed the closure of all 304 licensed Philippine off-shore gaming sites by the end of 2024. However, the agency admitted that illegal offshore gaming still exists in the country during a Senate hearing earlier this year.

The government also marked progress in digital regulation with the approval of the Internet Transaction Act. This law is meant to protect consumers and businesses by setting clear rules for online transactions.

In the past year, the administration also made several defense and maritime improvements, including two new laws and a public campaign to clarify the Philippines’ position in the West Philippine Sea. But other national security reforms remain stalled.

Mr. Marcos also signed the Republic Act No. 12024 or Philippine Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program Act to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign defense imports by strengthening local weapons and equipment production. The President earlier said the Armed Forces of the Philippines needs to be restructured to respond better to modern security threats. — Mhicole A. Moral