Palace hails Duterte's achievements on his 3rd anniversary as President

Malacañang on Saturday recounted the achievements of President Rodrigo Duterte as he marks his third anniversary as chief executive on Sunday.

"The President’s record as the Philippines’ Chief Executive speaks for itself," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

"Halfway through his term as the President of the Republic of the Philippines, PRRD has attained countless and incomparable feats, including but not limited to, reducing the rate of criminality to an incredible low figure, dismantling the illegal drug industry and apparatus with the voluntary surrender of already more than a million drug personalities and rehabilitating the victims thereof, initiating strategies and measures to thwart the local communist rebellion from spreading and crushing attempts of terrorism originating from different parts of the globe," Panelo said.

The Palace spokesperson also enumerated the bills Duterte has signed into law, among them the following:

• free tuition in state universities and colleges
• free irrigation to farmers
• free internet access in public places
• institutionalization of feeding programs for public school students
• universal health care program
• free medicines and financial support to indigent patients
• mandatory PhilHealth coverage for persons with disabilities (PWDs)
• huge and unparalleled subsidies in favor of government hospitals
• increase of SSS pensions for seniors
• improvement of the wages of government employees
• doubling the salaries of soldiers, policemen, jail officers and firemen
• prohibition on illegal labor subcontracting resulting in the regularization of hundreds of thousands of workers, and establishment of work-from-home arrangements.

"The Chief Executive also signed into laws and proposed measures aimed at reducing poverty, e.g. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the Magna Carta of the Poor, to uplift the standard living of those belonging to the underprivileged class of our society," Panelo said.

The Palace spokesperson added that Duterte distributed Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) "to thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries and farmers."

Duterte also urged Congress to draft a bill which will pave the way for the return of the coco levy fund to coconut farmers through a trust fund.

OFWs

Regarding overseas Filipino workers, "the Duterte administration has repatriated thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by Amnesty Programs implemented by several countries."

OFWs who have returned to the country were given training and livelihood assistance.

The administration also established an Overseas Filipino Bank "to provide efficient remittance services, low service rates and profitable offers to OFWs."

Economy

According to the Palace, Duterte made the country "one of the strongest economies and growth leaders in the region."

This was done "by changing its business climate that prompted the influx of foreign investments thereby ushering the Golden Age of Infrastructure in the country with his Build Build Build Program."

It was also during Duterte's term that the country earned a BBB+ rating from Standard and Poor's, "the highest credit rating in our economic history."

Revenue collection has reached new record-highs, the Palace claimed. This includes the P6 billion collected from Philippine Airlines for overdue navigational fees and P40 billion from Mighty Corporation for unpaid excise taxes.

Foreign policy

In the three years Duterte has been President, he "has pursued an independent foreign policy by means of removing our country’s subservience to the West."

The Palace also noted the following achievements: return of the historic Balangiga bells from the US, reshipment of trash back to Canada, and improvement in the relations with countries such as Russia, China, and those in Southeast Asia.

BOL

The Bangsamoro Organic Law was signed during Duterte's watch, the Palace said, which will pave the way "to transform Mindanao from 'an island of promise' to 'an island of fulfillment.'"

The normalization under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is also on track after a plebiscite led to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Palace added.

No more 'tanim bala'

Malacañang also hailed the elimination of the "tanim bala" scam which has victimized passengers at airports.

Other achievements include the following:

• issuance of an order on freedom of information for strict compliance of the Executive Department
• creation of a task force on media security
• cutting of red tape in government
• implementation of a nationwide smoking ban in public places
• freezing of the proliferation of online gambling
• halt in the construction of new casinos

Corruption

Duterte has also fired officials for corruption or incompetence even if they were his friends and allies, the Palace said.

"The Palace has responded to all letters addressed to Malacañang by referring them to various departments, offices or agencies for immediate action," it added.

Hotlines for emergencies (911) and citizens' complaints (8888) were also launched.

The use of luxury cars and air travels on business class were also prohibited, and junket foreign travels of government officials were scrapped.

"He has exemplified modesty in public service by forbidding the hanging of his portrait in all government offices and serving inexpensive and simple food in government social events," the Palace said.

Environment

Malacañang also said Duterte has promoted and protected the environment and even closed Boracay for rehabilitation.

Manila Bay was also ordered cleaned up and open-pit mining was prohibited.

"The Chief Executive has demonstrated altruism as the nation's father by visiting our troops regularly to boost their morale, attending the wakes of our slain soldiers, policemen, and other law enforcement personnel who died in the line of duty and taking care of their grieving families," the Palace said.

"The President has done all these (and these are just some examples) in his three years of national service, while giving his critics and detractors the free space to air their grievances. Despite the political noise and virulent black propaganda against him and his family, initiated by his political enemies, he has not filed a single case against them," it added.

Panelo said there will be more of these in the balance of Duterte's term.

"Much has been done in the past three years. The Filipino people can expect the same number of significant achievements, if not more, in the remainder of the President's term. Even as the majority of the Filipinos are in awe of PRRD’s accomplishments, the best is still to come," he said. —KG, GMA News