The DUTERTE LEGACY

THE DUTERTE PRESIDENCY: 5 YEARS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND VICTORY

The current world disorder has brought countries worldwide in a state of dilemma.

This dilemma brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic is not seen to end anytime soon and has definitely shown us the best and the worst of our world leaders.

It would be good to highlight that despite the recent economic and political setbacks due to the pandemic, the Duterte administration is still riding high on unprecedented “very good” to “excellent” trust and approval ratings.

With President Rodrigo Duterte approaching the end of his term, it would be good to zero in on his administration’s triumph and legacy vis-a-vis the biggest challenge that the world, let alone our country, is facing at the moment. It is more than welcome that these achievements are being laid out to the public to make sure that the Filipinos, supporters and critics alike, are well informed of the accomplishments of the administration.

GOLDEN AGE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

The “Build, Build, Build” program of the government, touted as a Golden Age of Infrastructure, has enjoyed massive public support, and this will most definitely be a huge factor in the rapid economic progress of the country in the years

ahead. It is significant to highlight that this program is literally spread across the country.

We cannot deny the excellent job of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as well. For one, those who cannot stomach the heavy traffic in Metro Manila are hoping that the ongoing construction of the Metro Manila Subway will greatly help in solving traffic woes once it becomes operational by 2025.

Another major accomplishment of the DOTr is how it was able to redeem the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from being infamously known as one of the worst airports, to ranking as one of the world’s most improved.

TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE

As an educator myself, I believe that among the many accomplishments of the government is the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which is currently being enjoyed by thousands of Filipino students in the college level, after it was signed by President Duterte into law.

This, by any chance, is no easy feat, and will easily be one of the greatest accomplishments that this administration will be remembered for. Had this been passed into a law years, if not decades, ago, we would have had more middle-class families at the moment, which could have raised the quality of life of many Filipinos.

BBB+ RATING

On the economic front, the Department of Finance emphasized that the administration’s great political resolve to bring real change has translated into unparalleled accomplishments of the government thus far. The international community seems to agree as Standard and Poor’s (S&P) raised the Philippines’ long-term credit rating from “BBB” to “BBB+” with a “stable” outlook, the highest rating the country has ever received from the agency.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has, since the beginning of the Duterte presidency, started using modern digital technologies to streamline local government processes. This should cause us, as well, to consider the extension of our passports’ validity to 10 years, as an allimportant accomplishment of the administration.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

The Magna Carta of the Poor, signed by the president, also speaks of his heart for the deprived sector of the society. The Universal Health Care Law signed by the president is an accomplishment to match as well, as it aims to widen the access of low-income families to quality and affordable health care. The Department of Health (DOH) needs to make sure though that as far as the new law is concerned, all Filipinos will be given access to quality health care.

The Department of Labor and Employment should be lauded also for his fervor in helping Overseas Filipino Workers, including the launching of the Overseas Filipino Bank. Since the start of the pandemic, more than half a million OFWs have been sent home as well, all expenses paid by the government.

In a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) back in 2018, the labor department reported that more than 400,000 contractual employees have been regularized after the chief executive ordered the protection and the right of the workers to security of tenure.

On the issue of the West Philippine Sea, the government is standing up and finding a way to make sure that our rights are not compromised. As strategic and careful as the president would want to be on the issue of territorial disputes, he still has to make sure that whatever he does is of the best interest of our national sovereignty.

PANDEMIC RESPONSE

The government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is not perfect. However, as difficult our predicaments are as a country at the moment, it would be harder to imagine anyone other than President Duterte handling it. Despite the criticisms, it is and will always be a difficult decision for him to make between opening up the economy and protecting the health of the Filipino people. The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, in partnership with the congress, has already benefited millions of Filipino households since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

As we are all on standby for more vaccines to arrive, it is proper to put things in perspective, and help each other in protecting our own households and community against the virus.

COMMON-SENSE TYPE OF LEADERSHIP

It is noteworthy that most of the programs of the Duterte Administration cater to the poor and middle class, composing majority of our population, and those that the Filipinos believe as urgent, as this can be the very reason why his approval, and trust ratings, have not wavered since his first day in office.

The chief executive’s common-sense type of leadership has paved the way for government programs, projects, and reforms—a legacy which he will leave come the end of his term. His heart has always been about fulfilling the wishes of the majority, which has always been about what the people want, and need. For as long as he delivers and continues to fulfill his promises, his supporters would care less about what his detractors, rivals, and whiners have to say, and they will remain steadfast, and undaunted in rallying behind the Duterte presidency.