Marcos touts health, food triumphs before SONA
PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday said the government would set up more health facilities and specialty centers nationwide, as part of efforts to boost healthcare services.
“We will establish primary healthcare facilities and specialty centers nationwide,” he said after inspecting the construction of a newly built multi-specialty medical center in Clark, Pampanga province.
“I will be reporting to the nation on the progress that we have made in establishing and opening new healthcare centers around the country,” he added, referring to his second state of the nation address to Congress on July 24.
The Clark medical center project, which is being built on a 5.7-hectare property in the Clark Freeport Zone, will cater to patients with kidney, cancer and pediatric-related problems.
It is expected to serve patients not only from Central Luzon but also from Metro Manila, Cagayan and the Ilocos regions.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Clark Development Corp., local government units in Pampanga and the Health department are working with Bloomberry Cultural Foundation to build the medical facility.
In a statement, the Department of Health said the project “serves as a shining example of effective partnerships” among government agencies.
Mr. Marcos Jr. said the Clark project is a very important component of the government’s health facilities enhancement program. About P23 billion was allocated to it under this year’s national budget.
In his speech, the President cited how the Philippines has “made significant progress” under his rule.
“We have been worried about writing the speech,” he said when asked about preparations for his SONA. He added that he wants Filipinos to see “the difference now,” not only in terms of how the government works, but also “how we are seen or judged in the international community.”
“That’s equally important,” he said. “I would like to show this is what we talked about last year. This is what we have done so far, and this is what we still must do. This is the plan,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
Political analysts and economists earlier said Mr. Marcos has failed to use his overwhelming mandate during the election to pursue game-changing economic and political reforms during his first year in office.
His government, on the other hand, is recognized for boosting Philippine ties with various countries amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Mr. Marcos, 65, has been pushing food self-sufficiency in a decidedly populist direction, a policy choice which he is well-placed to implement after appointing himself Agriculture secretary.
On Monday, he said the government is doing everything it could to fulfill his campaign promise of bringing the price of rice to P20 a kilo.
“On our dream of having rice at P20 per kilo, we’re not there yet, but we are doing everything we can,” he separately said in a speech at the launch of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, which provides a farm-to-consumer food supply chain that removes middlemen.
The presidential palace said all 81 provinces in the Philippines participated in the simultaneous launch of the Kadiwa program.
In a statement, the presidential palace said the Kadiwa centers will be manned by agencies every 15th and 30th of the month, “where local farmers are to sell their produce to their consumers at an affordable price.”
“Produce such as rice, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits, livestock and other basic commodities shall be made accessible and affordable to the marginalized,” it said.
“Just because we launched Kadiwa doesn’t mean our production is stable,” Mr. Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of the event, noting that the goal of the program is to boost agriculture supply for local consumption and exports. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
