Marcos appeals for unity

PRESIDENT BONGBONG Marcos has appealed to all to be part of the solution and unite for a common goal aimed at leading the country to progress.

Marcos said he is committed to lead the country to a new era of progress and prosperity and rallied everyone to unite to overcome the nation’s various challenges. “These are troubling times. Giving up is not an option. We’ve been through times of bitter division; but united we came through to this when it shall begin again. But better,” he said.

He also expressed hope for a peaceful and progressive Philippines, in which the young generation could have a brighter future. He asserted that his newly formed government is drawing up a comprehensive and all-inclusive plan for the country’s economic transformation, vowing to build back better through past experiences.

Marcos also promised to fix the agriculture sector, which he said cries for urgent attention, noting that while food self-sufficiency has been the key promise of every administration, no one was able to deliver.

Highlighting a looming global food shortage, he said: “Food is not just a trade commodity. Without it, people could die; societies come apart. It is more than a livelihood; it is an existential imperative and a moral one.”

He then vowed to strengthen the agriculture sector through various innovative means and support local farmers and fishermen by bringing importation to lowest possible level.

“An agriculture damaged and diminished by unfair competition will have a harder time, or will have no prospects at all, of recovering,” he said, adding the local problem in energy supply was a result of the ongoing conflict in Europe, including the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Marcos promised to find a way to enhance the country’s energy supply. He explained the country is “not far from oil and gas reserves that have already been developed.”

At the same time, he also tackled the need to focus on improving the education sector by putting more attention on sciences, sharpening students’ theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational skills.

Another area he discussed was about the Philippine public health system. “Although Filipino nurses are the best in the world, they suffered the highest casualties during the current health crisis, he said.

Marcos vowed that his administration will fix issues hounding the health sector without hiding anything from the public.

Noting the infrastructure developments under his father, he said that his government would also embark similar programs to help those living in the countryside especially the farmers and fishermen. (Mindanao Examiner)