The 24/7 President

From the day President Duterte took his oath to serve our nation up to his first year in office, we have witnessed a lot of changes in our country. The government, under Duterte’s leadership created a better relationship with our neighboring countries, including easing the tension between Philippines and China. Several government agencies now serve the public better and faster. While we saw the positive impact of Duterte in our government, we also witnessed his opponents repeatedly try to destroy his image for personal reasons. They try to make an issue out of everything; almost all his actions, including his absence during the Independence Day ceremony. Now, the question is, do we really have to see the President every day to know that he is working for us 24/7? Or does his growing satisfaction rating show that majority of Filipinos believe in him and sees that he is working for them?

We have seen the President work even through holidays when he visited Riyadh KSA, Qatar, and Bahrain during holy week. The President could also have at least three engagements in one day and there are times that the locations of these engagements are far from each other. Let’s take a look at some of his activities just last week: He visited the wake of the late Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board Member Atty. Loreto Ata, attended the 10th listing anniversary of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., attended the 26th anniversary celebration of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at Camp Aguinaldo; he also attended the National Intelligence Coordination Agency’s 68th anniversary celebration and National Security Council’s 67th anniversary celebration at the Tejeros Hall of Camp Emilio Aguinaldo. In addition, the President also visited Ormoc City with some of the Cabinet members where they met with local officials to know the situation of the city which was recently hit by earthquake. He also attended the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour Philippine Reception at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City. And lastly, even on a Saturday, President Duterte went to Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo, Sulu to visit the wounded soldiers who were injured due to an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Just by looking at all these activities that doesn’t include the work that’s not shown in cameras, and if we consider his age, it’s not hard to be amazed at the President’s work ethics and his diligence in serving the Filipino people. For me, what we see is a true epitome of a public servant. In a cabinet meeting that I was fortunate enough to personally witness, I saw that he wants solutions to the problems in our country. I can say that these cabinet meetings are not just mere “formal meetings,” this is where he reiterates to them that he wants change as soon as possible; and if we have a leader who is as hard-working as President Duterte, there’s no excuse to be idle. The President wants the government to break away from the old rotten system, and be a government that is a 24/7 working government that is efficient in serving the public.

Now, there are things the president can’t reveal to the public, so I believe that we, as citizens, just need to trust him. There are things he knows more than the public. Rest assured that his actions are for our best as he has done all this time. I have seen him work and scold officials who are not doing their duty with the speed that he has set. President Rodrigo Duterte is, for me, a “Once in a lifetime” president, we are not sure if we will have another President like him again. He is our 24/7 President who is also the 24/7 father of our nation, and who’s better to put our trust into than a father who fulfill his duty, protects his children from harm, and a father who does not stop working to reach a better future for our country?