FULL SPEECH: President Bongbong Marcos' first State of the Nation Address

honorable ladies and gentlemen members of the congress of the philippines your excellency ferdinand romales

marcos

jr

president

of the republic of the philippines vice

president

of foreign affairs sarah zimmerman duterte former presidents joseph hirschito estrada gloria macapagal arroyo and rodrigo roa duterte president of the senate juan miguel suberi and the honorable the members of the president of the senate chamber ferdinand martin romwaldes and the honorable members of the house of representatives the president of the court alexander gusmundo and the honorable justices of the supreme court the apostolic nuncio reverend charles john brown and the esteemed members of the diplomatic corps the honorable members of the cabinet our

first

lady luis araneta

marcos

and our children distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen I come before you today to

address

you since it is my duty as president of the republic we live in difficult times caused by some of our own forces but certainly also by forces that are outside of our control, but we have found and will continue to find solutions and these are some of them in terms of economics we will implement sound fiscal management we will implement reforms in tax administration to increase revenue collection and spending priorities will be realigned and efficiency will be improved of spending to immediately

address

the economic scars resulting from the effects of Kovit 19 and also to prepare for future shocks.

Investments that improve productivity will be promoted. Our country must become an investment desti

nation

that takes advantage of corporate recovery and tax incentives for companies, so the creation law and economic liberalization laws, such as the public service law and the foreign investment law, will receive

full

support to incorporate strategic industries, such as those engaged in high-tech manufacturing, medical and healthcare and all emerging technologies. It is considered to facilitate economic growth outside the Metro Manila area. Our tax system will adjust to catch up with the rapid developments of the digital economy, including the imposition of value-added tax on digital service providers.

The initial impact on revenue will be around 11.7 billion pesos. Only in 2023 will tax compliance procedures be simplified to promote ease of tax payment. We will apply measures to determine possible undervaluation or misinvoicing of imported goods through information and communications technologies. The Customs Office will promote simplified processes. Disbursements for 2022 to 2023 will remain above 20 percent of gross domestic product or 4,955 trillion pesos and 5,086 trillion pesos respectively to ensure the continued implementation of priority programs. The disbursement will increase further in the medium term from 5,402 trillion pesos or 20.7 percent of our GDP in 2024 to 7,712 trillion pesos or 20.6 percent of GDP in 2028.

This administration's medium-term fiscal strategy seeks to achieve short-term macrofiscal stability while continuing to support the country's economic recovery and promote medium-term fiscal sustainability. Furthermore, and most importantly, fiscal policy aims to bring together the resources of the

nation

al government to be mobilized and used in order to obtain maximum benefit and high multiplier effects for our economy. Measurable medium-term macroeconomic and fiscal objectives include the following headline figures, are based on forecasts that are consistent with the guiding principles of strategy coherence, political discipline and fiscal sustainability 6.5 to 7.5 percent domestic product growth real gross in six 2022. five to eight percent annual real GDP growth between 2023 and 2028. nine percent or single-digit poverty rate by 2028. three percent national Public deficit/GDP ratio by 2028 Less than 60 percent of national public debt-to-GDP ratio by 2025 At least US$4,256 per capita income and achievement of upper-middle-income status by 2024.

The above-mentioned major goals summarize the objectives of this medium. -The long-term fiscal strategy will be presented to Congress for adoption and approval of the concurrent resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives. Once adopted, the MMFF will become an anchor for the national government's annual spending and financing plan. and Congress in preparing the annual budget and undertaking related appropriation activities, therefore, it is a forward-looking document that extends beyond the traditional three-year horizon to reach six years that coincide with the six-year coverage of the Philippine development plan 2023-2028. The mtff also promotes transparency and credible commitment to achieve this. the indicated social macroeconomic objectives that optimize the medium-term growth objectives of the government budget and the assumptions related to key macroeconomic variables underpin the medium-term fiscal plan.

The recent past and the covert pandemic of 19 have plagued the macroeconomic environment with challenges and a series of external factors. shocks, inflation has accelerated in recent months due largely to significant increases in international prices for oil and other key commodities; Still, economic growth momentum remains strong, as evidenced by strong

first

quarter 2022 GDP growth of 8.3 percent; The pandemic still continues amid high uncertainty in the international economic environment. Revisions to macroeconomic assumptions incorporate these challenges and the most recent economic developments, leading to upward adjustments to the next inflation rate for 2022 to 2023, the exchange rate for 2023 to 2025, and imports of goods and services. growth for 2012, the economy is expected to grow between 6.5 and 7.5 this year as we continue to reopen the economy, taking into account recent external developments, in the first quarter alone GDP recorded an increase in household consumption and private investments along with a robust manufacturing industry. the vaccination rate improved health capacity and the upward trend in tourism and employment is expected to continue for the rest of the year.

Strong economic growth is expected to continue and further expand to between 6.5 and 8 between 2010 and 2028. Average inflation for 2022 is expected to range between 4.5 and 5.5 percent following the rebound in fuel and food prices as a result of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and disruptions to supply chains. It is adjusted slightly to 2.5 and 4.5 in 2023 and is considered to return to the target. range of 2.0 to 4.0 percent for 2024 to 2028. Dubai crude oil price is expected to settle at 90 to 110 US dollars per barrel in 2022, 80 to 100 US dollars per barrel in 2023 and 70 at US$90 per barrel from 2024 onwards. Oil supply is expected to catch up and stabilize in the medium term.

The Philippine peso is projected to average between 51 and 53 pesos per US dollar in 2022 and between 51 and 55 pesos per US dollar starting in 2023 due to the aggressive tightening of monetary policy by the United States. Aversion to the federal reserve market amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and a new rise in global oil prices. Lastly, exports of goods are expected to grow by 18 percent in 2022 and six percent from 2023 to 2028. On the other hand, imports of goods are expected to grow by 18 percent in 2022. six percent in 2023 and eight percent from 2024 to 2028. I have directed the neda to coordinate with other agencies and work on the Philippine development plan for 2023-28 and to present to me the complete plan and the progress of its implementation no later than the year -finally one of the main drivers of our effort for growth and employment will be the agricultural sector in regards to food supply, we face a double problem: the one that will affect us in the short term and the one that will affect us in the short term term.

Long-term problems foreign administration The national agricultural network now from farm to market is on a gradual reform program. I play in magpatoulou land reform is not only about procurement but also about support and distribution services to help with this. I intend to issue an executive order to impose a one-year moratorium on the payment of land amortization and interest payments this is included in the republic act number 11469 or the bayanihan to heal as a single act one Moratorium will give farmers the ability to channel resources into the development of their farms, maximizing their ability to produce and drive the growth of our economy.

Civil society organizations also support this because it will relieve farmers of their jews and they will be able to focus on improving agricultural productivity. Congress must also pass a law that will emancipate land reform beneficiaries from the burden of land reform debt. Thus modifying Article 26 of Republic Law 6657 in this law, the loans of the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform with amortization and unpaid interest will be forgiven. agrarian reform beneficiaries who are yet to receive the land rewarded under the comprehensive agreement reform program will receive it without any obligation to pay any amortization the expropriation of the existing agrarian reform loan will cover the amount of 58,58,125 million pesos benefiting 654,000 beneficiaries of agrarian reform and involving a total of 1.18 million hectares of awarded land executive order number 75 series 2019 requires all government agencies offices departments and instrumentalities to deliver agricultural land to qualified beneficiaries of agrarian reform.

We currently have a total of 52,000 hectares of unutilized government agricultural land which will now be utilized for distribution to the following sectors in accordance with section 40 of the republic act. number 6657 as amended landless war veterans landless surviving spouse and orphans of landless retired war veterans of the armed forces of the philippines and the philippine national police the agricultural lands acquired under this program shall be granted to graduates of university degrees in landless agriculture The call of the times is for the infusion of fresh and new blood in the agricultural sector. We need a new generation of farmers equipped with modern agricultural technology, capable of engaging in sustained scientific agriculture that will not only increase agricultural yields but also local resilience.

In the face of climate change, they say that every brand has a story, as for the Filipino brand, ours is deeply rooted in our rich cultural heritage and the tourism sector plays an invaluable role in promoting the Filipino brand. Tourism is not only an important economic development. tool, but the abundance of opportunities that the sector creates in terms of regular employment and even job creation at the grassroots level is undeniable to boost our tourism industry, first and foremost, we will carry out basic developments such as road improvements to facilitate access to the Tourist places. We will also improve our airports and create more international airports to help decongest the bottleneck at Manila airport.

We will also make it more convenient for travelers to tour the country even to remote areas to help promote undiscovered tourist spots. This program will be led by the Department of Tourism together with the Department of Public Works and Highways to foster the Filipino brand. It is to awaken our sense of pride and reaffirm our strong sense of identity. It is time to welcome the rest of the world with a Filipino brand. enhanced that is uniquely attractive and creative the creativity of the Filipino is truly world class we excel in art and culture new media live events avenues that generate primary and subsequent jobs for our creative and talented compatriots unfortunately the creative industry also faces many challenges including working conditions working our intellectual property rights and the well-being of our beloved self-employed who were left vulnerable during the height of the pandemic we need an institutionalized creative industry that promotes foreign interest the department of social welfare and development has an important role to play in all of this lgu a department of human settlements and urban development emergency shelter assistance program incomprehensible assistance to people in crisis situations development centers in supervised neighborhood game in the lupana in palawa in satan 2023 vulnerable sectors in closure of people with disabilities foreign center for disease control and prevention vaccine institute, but beyond the problems that the pandemic has brought, the need for a stronger health care system is evident, we must bring medical services to the people and notwait for them to come to our hospitals and healthcare centers, children's hospital in national kidney and transplant institute is a national capital region um national capital one of the cornerstones of a strong healthcare system is the provision of competent medical professionals and We will make every effort to improve the well-being of our doctors, our nurses and other frontline medical professionals.

This is one of the hard lessons we learned when the pandemic hit and therefore we must act on this deficiency in the education sector. I think it's time for our children to return to in-person classes once again, the education department. led by our highly capable Vice President Sarah Duterte is now preparing for implementation in the next school year with the utmost consideration for the safety of students, as we are still in the midst of the Kovit 19 pandemic, we must ensure that our classrooms To be safe for teachers, students, and the entire academic community as they return to in-person classes, we continue to encourage everyone to receive their booster shots in preparation for the resumption of in-person classes.

This is one of the reasons why I have directed the department of health of the department of the interior and local government to carry out another implementation of booster vaccines, the condition and availability of school classrooms for our students must also be addressed again in coordination with the department of public works and highways, although some complications have arisen during the issue of the repair of school buildings in relation to the mandana garcía ruling this will be resolved we have been in conversations with local government leaders, governors and mayors in recent weeks to determine with the use of lg what is truly feasible which functions belong to the lgus and which belong to the national government there have also been lengthy discussions about the continuation and viability of the k-12 school system that we are giving this careful review and all necessarily necessary inputs and points of view are being considered for the long term.

We are instituting a program of refresher courses and training for our teachers so they can keep up with the rapid growth of technology, especially in this position. -pandemic world regarding the horror stories we have heard about the poor quality of educational materials and supplies that are being delivered to our schools, this must stop, our children must always be equipped with the best we can provide and once further. I'm not talking about history or what is being taught, I'm talking about materials that are necessary for effective teaching today. Children now need Internet connectivity. They need devices to use.

They need computers. Educational tools to be able to

full

y participate in. The digital community here and abroad must obtain better results in international rankings, especially when it comes to the so-called mother subjects science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These skills and knowledge are necessary so that our young people can compete in a highly technological environment and world. Competitive The raw talent is in our youth It is up to our educational system to develop and refine that large pool of talent Foreign employers have always favored Filipino employees because of our command of the English language This is an advantage that we must continue to enjoy Internet se has now become the global market not only for goods and services but also for ideas that even extend to our own personal interactions and the language of the Internet, for better or worse, is English, therefore the question of our medium of communication instruction must be continually reexamined to maintain that advantage we have established as an English-speaking people on a related topic we are entering an era of exponential adoption of technology it is the fourth industrial revolution this will be characterized by the infusion of technology into almost every facets of our lives innovative technologies in the areas of quantum computing artificial intelligence nanotechnologies internet of things robotics electric vehicles 3D printing virtual and augmented augmented realities, among others, that will radically transform the way business is done the scale and speed at The fact that these innovations are universally introduced into our daily lives and activities is unprecedented in our recorded history, we cannot sit idly by the mission of our information and communications technology department, technology is to identify and use these innovations to improve governance, now has the enormous task of transforming our government into an agile bureaucracy that responds to the needs of the public provide good, robust data to ensure informed decision making and enable secure and seamless access to public services that the voluminous Records stored in government warehouses and archives have to be digitized, those already stored in various data inventories must be harmonized and shared between departments and agencies, it goes without saying that they must be kept in large data centers that are secure but accessible, National ID will play an important role in this digital transformation.

For citizens to transact seamlessly with the government, their identity must be easily verifiable. We expect to issue 30 million physical IDs and 20 million digital IDs by the end of this year. The objective is to achieve the issuance of around 92 million ideas by mid. Next year as the world moves towards rapid digitalization, the digital divide will become more pronounced. These technologies are fully expected to be transformative in our lives. This will open up new opportunities for wealth creation, but will likely also create inequalities. Therefore, universal connectivity will be a vital component in ensuring that no citizen is left behind.

I have therefore tasked the dict to implement digital connectivity across our various islands. This will be done through the implementation of the national broadband plan, the common tower program connecting our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas through our NASA broadband project all relevant modes of digital transport must be used, these can be through a combination of terrestrial or underwater fiber optics, wireless and even satellite technology, since our public service law has opened the doors and eliminated restrictions. Regarding foreign investment, we foresee an increase in direct investment from foreign players, this will translate into better quality, availability and affordability of telecommunications services throughout the country.

Now we come to the infrastructure. The backbone of an economy is its infrastructure. The infrastructure program of the Duterte administration must not only continue but, wherever possible, expand, we will confidently build on this firm foundation laid by my predecessor, as it is in the construction of a building, we must maintain the momentum and aspire to build better, more necessarily, infrastructure development will continue to be a very high priority in our drive. for growth and employment once again I will not suspend any of the ongoing projects as they have already been shown to benefit the public they serve we will continue to study the proposals that have been made spending on infrastructure development will remain at five to six percent of GDP, I believe that the planned expansion of infrastructure projects would be possible if we continue to encourage private sector participation in the development of our programs.

Public-private partnerships or PPPs have great potential for this expansion, for infrastructure development and for innovation. Our infrastructure development is of paramount importance as it is a necessary element to improve many other sectors to include agriculture, tourism, general economic activity and even governance. I also believe that we have missed great opportunities to develop our rail transport system. It's clear. In my opinion, railways offer great potential as they remain the cheapest way to transport goods and passengers. We can take advantage of existing lines by modernizing these old railway systems. There are dozens of railway projects above ground, above ground, underground, not only. in Manila but in other regions in different stages of implementation and with a combined cost of 1.9 trillion pesos, this administration is committed to finishing building the current investment portfolio in approved railway projects, such as the north-south interurban railway system which is the 33 kilometer meter. the manila metro project the 147-kilometer north-south commuter rail system the 12-kilometer lrt1 cavite extension the 23-kilometer mrt 7 and the common station that will connect lrt1 mrt3 and mrt 7. and beyond larger scale rail systems of ncr as the 102 kilometer mindanao railway project the Panay railway project and the Cebu railway system will be integrated as a vital part of our transportation and communication systems.

We will also continue to improve our roads and transportation systems in key cities across the country for various projects such as a Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao High. priority bus system ilocos northern transportation hub el nido transportation terminal my request to the department of transportation or dotr is actually very simple at full speed improving our rail system along with the modernization of existing airports and seaports will maximize our strategic location in the Pacific and will connect our On many islands, a key sector in our transformation plans is energy. Another fundamental requirement for growth and increased employment will be the availability of cheap and reliable energy.

This even falls into the category of ease of doing business if we want to attract both local and foreign investors to settle here in the Philippines currently our demand for energy far exceeds our reliable supply we must increase the level of energy production we must consider all possible options that would be appropriate for the Philippine situation. There is room to expand our current energy supply through existing energy sources, but this is only to a very limited extent. We must build new power plants. We must take advantage of all the best technology that is now available. , especially in the areas of renewable energy, our search for new energy sources should always be aimed at improving the mix of energy supply between traditional and renewable sources.

Renewable energy technology is progressing rapidly and many of these technologies are appropriate for the Philippines. We have already started with windmill energy. We are now expanding our solar energy very rapidly. For example, the World Bank has estimated that there is a potential of 255 gigawatts by 2013. Solar energy has steadily increased its efficiency in converting sunlight into electrical energy, which is especially attractive to the Philippines because unlike From wind energy, solar energy is practical almost everywhere in the Philippines throughout the year in the attempt to reduce our carbon footprint caused by energy production, our move towards renewable energy will have some time in advance, meanwhile , natural gas will be the key, we will provide investment incentives.

Clarifying the uncertain policy on upstream gas, particularly in the area around Malampaya, this requires a clarification of processes and a review of the service contract policy. I think it is also time to reexamine our strategy to build nuclear power plants in the Philippines. Comply, of course, with International Atomic Energy Agency regulations for nuclear power plants, as they have been strengthened after Fukushima. In the area of ​​nuclear energy, new technologies have been developed that allow smaller-scale modular nuclear plants and other derivations thereof. Once again, PPPs will play an important role. participate in the support, since the financing in this period is limited, in addition, we must examine the entire transmission and distribution system in order to find ways to reduce the price of energy for the consumer and the industry, we must expand the network of our transmission lines while we examine schemes to improve the operation of our electric cooperatives, all of this to help reduce energy costs, especially, but not limited to homes, all of this drive for development and growth that we undertake in the In the context of accelerating climate change and extreme weather conditions, although we are a minor contributor to climate change globally, we have the unfortunate distinction of being one of the mostvulnerable to the effects of climate change for the well-being of our people it is up to us to alleviate the effects of that vulnerability the use of renewable energy is at the top of our climate agenda we will increase our use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal, solar and wind energy geographically, we are a country prone to disasters.

Building capacity for our resilience to natural disasters is, therefore, an investment in science and technology that will allow us to have accurate weather forecasts and timely disaster alerts. Studies show that already many areas in the Philippines are at high risk due to sea ​​level rise caused by rising global temperatures we must adapt to this phenomenon with disaster-proof planning for our communities we will also examine the precarious situation of fresh water supply in the country, especially in our urban areas, many of our water supply systems date back to the 1950s and now need to be rehabilitated and improved.

I have directed the DNR along with the DPWH to explore possible partnerships with the private sector to address this crucial situation. The Philippines has excellent laws on the environment, but we have to ensure that these laws are properly enforced and this will require great coordination and cooperation between the concerned government agencies and the concerned private companies. Those who exploit our natural resources must follow the law, we all have the responsibility to preserve this land because we are nothing more than custodians and we will transmit this great treasure to future generations. There is no doubt that the preservation of the environment is the preservation of life if we, if we cannot mitigate climate change, all our plans for the economy, all our plans for our future, will be for the known Filipinos, it is empowerment digitally, we will automate contract verification and issue secure foreign employment certifications that you can save on your smartphone. the department of migrant workers in the dict to make this a top priority department of foreign affairs the foreign department mental well-being sports Filipino you deserve a home in the government not only for the money you send home but you are not a cold tool of the economy, you deserve it for your sacrifices for our country and your perseverance and excellence in the global arena.

The uofw represent the fighting faith of the Filipinos as a nation and as a people. Let us transform your trip abroad into inspiring stories for the ages. Thanks to you, dear. legislators and of course the man that everyone now refers to us your great president rodrigo duterte you approved the law that created this new home for our members in the area of ​​foreign policy I will not preside over any process that abandons even a square centimeter of the territory of The Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power regarding our place in the community of Philippine nations will remain a friend to all and an enemy to none.

The Philippines has always been open and welcoming to all our foreign friends and Visitors, that is our worldview, that is our culture, but let me be clear, we are very jealous of everything Filipino, we will be a good neighbor, we will always look for ways to collaborate and cooperate with the ultimate goal of mutually beneficial results if we agree. We will cooperate and work together and if we disagree, let's talk some more until we develop a consensus, after all, that is the Filipino way, but we will not give up, we will remain steadfast in our independent foreign policy with the national interest as our primary guide.

We are committed to maintaining good relations with the rest of the world. In fact, I truly believe that the need for strong ties and collaboration between nations arises in the most difficult times, such as in a pandemic, the partnerships and alliances we make. with all will provide the stability that all nations will need as we emerge into this new global economy. The Philippines will continue to foster stronger and multifaceted relationships with all our partners around the world. Indeed, we are grateful for the messages of support and offers of help that we have received from many of our friends in the international community.

This has been communicated to us to the different envoys and ambassadors here in the Philippines. Such strong relationships can only be beneficial for everyone involved, as I am here today addressing the legislature. Let me now propose legislation that we would like to see passed in support of these programs a rights-sizing program for the national government a reform mechanism that seeks to improve the institutional capacity of the government to carry out its mandate and provide better services while ensuring the optimal and efficient use of resources compared to previous government reorganization efforts, the ngrp will involve a comprehensive strategic review of the functions, operations, organizational system and processes of the different agencies and massive and transformative initiatives in the agencies involved, such as mergers, consolidation, division, transfer and even the abolition of some offices.

Right-sizing efforts also involve conducting a comprehensive strategic review of functions, programs, and projects that will span multiple agencies. Number two, a budget modernization bill that seeks to institutionalize a cash-based budgeting system under executive order number 91 series 9 of 2019 to strengthen taxation. Discipline in the allocation and use of budget resources, guaranteeing that each peso budgeted by the government leads to the actual execution of programs and projects. Full implementation of the CbP is timely and vital as the government executes post-pandemic response and recovery plans. three tax package iii valuation reform bill this bill provides for the establishment of real e

state

values ​​and valuation standards throughout the country and will be a development of a real e

state

information system that provides the database of all real estate transactions and declarations in the country number four law on taxes on passive income and financial intermediaries seeks to reform the taxation of capital income and financial services by redesigning the taxation of the financial sector transa to turn it into a system simpler, fairer, more efficient and revenue-neutral tax system.

It also represents adopting a regionally competitive tax system. five e-government law that provides for the establishment of an e-government master plan that will cover all e-government services and processes number six the Internet transactions law or electronic commerce law that aims to establish effective regulation of activities commercial over the Internet or electronic means to ensure that consumer rights and data privacy are protected. Innovation is encouraged. Fair advertising practices and competition are promoted. Online transactions are secured. Intellectual property rights are protected and product standards and safety are observed. Number seven: government financial institutions, unified initiatives for distressed businesses. for economic recovery this seeks to provide financial assistance to businesses in critical distress for economic recovery through programs and initiatives to be implemented by the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine Guarantee Corporation with the in order to address liquidity or solvency problems of small and medium-sized enterprises and industries of strategic importance to encourage their continued operation and maintain employment number eight the establishment of a medical reserve corps establishes a medical reserve corps under the office of health and emergency management of the doh the mrc will be composed of licensed doctors, medical students who have completed their four years of medical courses medical graduates licensed registered nurses and allied health professionals number nine national health prevention management authority diseases this bill seeks to create the center for disease prevention and control attached to doh number 10 the creation of the institute of virology of the philippines this will create the institute of science and technology of virology of the philippines as an attached agency of the dost all offices and units under the dost with functions related to virology will now be transferred to the 11th philippines institute of virology from the department of water resources this seeks to create the department of water resources and adopts integrated water resources management as the strategic framework for the national water management policy formulation and planning number 12 unified separation system retirement and pension this provides a monthly disability pension in lieu of disability benefits provided under existing laws for military and uniformed personnel retired due to disability number thirteen The e-governance law promotes the use of the Internet, the Internet and other ICTs to provide opportunities to citizens number 14, the national land use law, this will provide a rational and holistic solution to the management and development of our land and water resources. country hold owners responsible for making these lands productive and sustainable strengthen the lgu to manage the ecological balance within its jurisdiction also establishes the land use and physical planning framework as a mechanism to determine the policies and principles to be implemented This legislative measure number 15 the National Defense Act seeks to amend the outdated National Defense Act of 1935 to provide for a change in the military structure of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to better respond to current and future unconventional security threats to the integrity territorial of the country and national sovereignty number 16. mandatory reserve officer training corps and national service training program this seeks to reinstitute the rotc program as mandatory as a mandatory component of senior secondary programs grades 11 and 12 at all levels Public and private tertiary educational institutions aim to motivate, train, organize and mobilize students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity development for risk-related situations. number 17 enactment of a domestic natural gas industry enabling law that seeks to encourage the development of the midstream natural gas industry in a bid to strengthen the Philippines' energy security by diversifying the country's primary energy sources and promoting the role of gas natural as a complementary fuel to variable renewable energy number 18 amendments to the electric power industry reform law or epira this aims to improve the implementation of loss provisions and improve their effectiveness in addressing the high cost of electricity, alleged market collusion and insufficient energy supply.

The bill seeks to restructure the energy regulatory commission to foster accountability and improve the governance system of the commission that would ensure consumer protection and improve the competitive operation of the electricity market number 19 amendments to the energy regulation law transfer of construction operation this seeks to improve the implementation of the public-private partnership program and to be able to direct the desired products and results in line with the strategic development objectives of the country, specifically the amendments seek one addresses the ambiguities of the existing law to address the bottlenecks and challenges affecting the implementation of the PPP program and three foster a more competitive and PPP-friendly environment for my fellow Filipinos.

I have no intention of diminishing the risks and challenges we face. We face this turbulent time in global history, and yet I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds. We have brought together the best Filipino minds to help us navigate this global crisis we now face. We will endure, we will let our Filipino spirit remain intact. I know. I know this in my mind in my heart I know it in my soul the state of the nation is healthy thank you and good afternoon