June 5, 2025 l Manila Bulletin
In a humbled demeanor, President Ferdinand Marcos acknowledged that the 5-5-2 Senate results were somewhat of a rebuke to certain government policies and highlighted what people need. Marcos stated, “People are tired of politics,” and that the government had been too focused on mega-infrastructure projects, neglecting the smaller issues that “affect people’s lives.” The President was accurate in his assessment.
Premier communication strategist Alan German more graphically articulated his point: the front-runners in the 2025 Senate race employed a single-messaging strategy that expressed what people truly need. Bong Go (health), Bam Aquino (education), Bato de la Rosa (peace and order), Erwin Tulfo (social services), and Kiko Pangilinan (food-agriculture) finished as the top five winners among the twelve.
In health, the “Malasakit” program (of Go), intended to unify Philhealth, Pag-ibig, and other government “ayuda” (aid), was regrettably bastardized and politicized by government officials. This adversely affected people on the opposing side of the politicians in power in their communities.
While education may be free in public schools, the reality is that 15 million Filipino students are “functionally illiterate” due to poor education quality, hindering their ability to find employment and eroding our human capital.
Corruption and inefficiency (red tape) continue to plague all levels of government, down to the barangays, making social services difficult or expensive to access. The “ayuda” system is marred by political intervention and a weak distribution network. Concurrently, the drug problem has re-emerged with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, 50 percent of Filipinos self-rated themselves as “hungry,” underscoring the severity of food inflation in the country.
Marcos, non-confrontational by nature, is slow to anger and a pacifist. However, at times, treating governance with kid gloves can be counterproductive. Is the fault, in the stars, Brutus?
Already, the president has refrained from open involvement in the controversial “charter change” through people’s initiative and the formulation of the national budget. Unlike various past administrations, Marcos’ Budget (called the NEP – National Expenditure Program) for the last three years has been at the mercy of cutting and realignment by the Bicameral Group, with many tagging the 2025 national budget as “the most corrupt.”
Despite the merciless badgering by the Duterte group, Marcos still extends an olive branch of peace, stating, “because I want stability so we can move forward.” His Pontius Pilate act of washing his hands over the impeachment moves against VP Sara and the ICC’s arrest of President Duterte is, to us, conduct not expected of a true president. He should simply declare that we are a nation of laws and let the sword of Lady Justice fall where it should. Besides, the UNITEAM is a thing of the past, and no amount of cajoling, much less fawning at the enemy, will ever change that. There is absolutely no need to appear like a scarecrow when you are the head of 115 million people.
On the other hand, Marcos’s moves to rearrange his Cabinet and remove the heads of the environment, housing, solicitor general, OFWs, and foreign affairs agencies are steps in the right direction. He should dismiss more. And review the COA (Commission on Audit) reports on the performance of many GOCCs (government-owned and controlled corporations), and remove the corrupt and laggard entities within them. Many of these companies, in any case, are a drain on the country’s fiscal health.
Reports even from remote provinces indicate that the number and value of drugs busted are unprecedented and alarming. Newly appointed PNP head Major Gen. Nicanor Torre III should increase police visibility and apprehend the “Big Fish” instead of targeting small users.
Marcos should also heed Senator-elect Ping Lacson’s plan to review the “graft-laden” 2025 GAA (General Appropriations Act) and rectify those aspects tenable under our laws. He should find ways to realign some funds to bolster what has been previously reduced from critical sectors like health, education, and national defense agency budgets.
Since rice is a staple food for Filipinos, BBM should find a permanent source of subsidy to make cheap rice available (₱20/kilo) rather than siphoning funds from contingency reserves. This specific problem, which gnaws at the stomachs of the people, does not need palliatives. Likewise, there is a need to strengthen RA 12022, the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Law, and prosecute rice smugglers, hoarders, and price manipulators. The criminals are known, but sufficient political will is needed to jail them.
It is ironic that, with 7,000 islands, fish prices remain prohibitive, considering that it was once the Filipinos’ main dish. Why? It is also appropriate to reinstate the maximum Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of pork to ₱350 to ₱380 per kilo by August in response to the drawbacks of the ASF (African Swine Fever).
Marcos has three short years until 2028. He should buckle down to serious business, and if not to leave a lasting positive legacy to the nation, then to partially redeem the name of his family that has been accused of plundering the nation to penury.
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email dejarescobingo@yahoo.com. Photo is from Pinterest.