Marcos on first 100 days: We found best, brightest in gov't

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said that his administration has managed to find the “best and brightest” officials to help and serve in the government during his first 100 days as president.

Marcos was asked during the President’s Night organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) on what he considered as his accomplishments and things that he could have done differently as he marks his 100th day in office in two days.

The President said he remembered the first time this was asked during the campaign period.

“And I said, well the first 100 days will be finding the best and the brightest to help and serve in government, I think we have managed to do that. I think we have. I am always very grateful to ...our economic managers, to those experts who have come and decided to join the government because we know that they are very successful and this is a sacrifice for them,” Marcos said.

“It is really all about the service on their part. We're always grateful for their talent. And to have them in place already I think gives us distinct advantage as we try to transform our economy for the next few years,” he added.

Marcos said that his administration has also put together a government which is “functional” and has a “very good” idea in targeting economic targets.

He also said that they make their officials understand that they are here to govern and to help the country recover amid COVID-19 pandemic.

“Make all our officials understand that as a government we are here to govern, we have been put here to try our best to pull us out of this terrible crisis that we have just been suffering for the last two years, I think we have achieved that,” he said.

“It is that sense of urgency, it is that unity that we bring people together and we are bringing people for a reason and the reason is not for ourselves, not our families but for our community, country, and our people,” he added.

Leading peace efforts

Marcos said he hoped that the Philippines will be one of the nations that will lead peace efforts, adding that he intends to propose some actions to address conflicts in the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference this November.

“There will be leaders, there will be followers and we hope to be part of leading — the ones that are leading the effort for peace that we concentrate in the past. In my discussions with the different leaders, we spoke very much of course of the situation here in the Southeast Asia, in Asia in regard to the intensifying non-violent conflict but push and pull between China and the United States over Taiwan,” he said.

“In fact, in the upcoming ASEAN conferences that are coming up in November, I intend to propose several actions that ASEAN can take specific to the different conflicts that we are seeing in our region. And if the Philippines can play a part, then that would certainly be a good thing,” he added.

He said that the country raised concern on the issue of Myanmar and the Rohingya situation, adding that it is time to put forward concrete proposals.

“I think we should continue to try and push our member neighbors to present that united front and to move that united front forward so that we can say that ASEAN as a political — geopolitical aggrupation, economic aggrupation, has certainly shown that it has a function to do in the normal scheme of the geopolitics,” he added.

Strengthening partnerships

Marcos also reiterated the importance of strengthening partnerships and forging alliances across the world, saying that “unity” remains one of the primary driving forces in pursuing economic recovery.

“Because in the uncertain world that we are facing, these partnerships will stabilize our transformation into the post-pandemic new global economy. And it is an uncertain world that we are facing, it is an uncertain future, and that makes those partnerships all the more important. And again the concept of unity applies,” he said.

The President also encouraged Filipinos to help in strengthening the Philippine economy in order to boost the country’s position in the world.

“We want our people to dream, to develop their talents, to explore the beauty of the country and of the world, and most especially, lead meaningful lives, and have in their heart a hope for the future,” he said.

He also reiterated that his administration's priority goals are to secure food sufficiency and spur socio-economic growth.  

“I’m proud to share that in the recent working --- the recent visits that we have undertaken abroad, I was able to promote agricultural cooperation and encourage trade investment in key sectors,” Marcos said.

“The government is also focusing on its agenda of strengthening public-private partnerships and sustaining the robust infrastructure initiatives of my predecessor with our very own flagship and I think it was described Build Better More Infrastructure Agenda.  We need efficient infrastructure systems to serve as the backbone of the economy,” he furthered.

“So we enjoin not only government and industries, but also the public to help in sustaining the positive trajectory of our socio-economic growth,” he added.—LDF, GMA News