Much still needs to be done in our aspiration to provide a more comfortable life for all. We have accomplished much and I am happy that those significant changes accomplished under the Duterte Administration are being improved further by the current administration.
As we try to persistently inch forward on the path towards full recovery, many of our fellow Filipinos are still lamentably faced with roadblocks that not only halt their progress but oftentimes also constrain them to take several steps back.
Thus, it is imperative for us, especially in the government, to continue giving our kababayans the means and the necessary support to help them overcome whatever obstacles.
My office, for its part, continues its regular relief operations nationwide in a bid to extend assistance to more of our Filipinos, particularly those affected by disasters or those belonging to vulnerable sectors. Our beneficiaries last week included 112 fire victims in Dapa, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, and four more in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
On 28 January, I distributed aid to 500 of our indigent residents in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental. I was also in the town upon the invitation of its local government to witness the groundbreaking of their Super Health Center earlier that day.
Every time I receive similar invitations from our various local government units, I feel honored as I have been firmly advocating for the establishment of more Super Health Centers nationwide to help reduce hospital occupancy rates and bring crucial basic health services closer to those in need. Earlier that week, I was glad to have also witnessed the groundbreaking of the SHC in Kawit, Cavite after accepting the invitation of the town officials.
Meanwhile, I am equally thankful to the local government of Pampanga for hosting the “Handog Pasasalamat ng mga Kapampangan kay Pangulong Duterte” in Mabalacat City on 26 January, where our former president Rodrigo Duterte was declared as the province’s “adopted son”. At the same event, they also honored me for furthering Pampanga’s well-being and interests.
While former president Duterte and I were both humbled to receive such recognition, like I always say, there is really no need to thank us. Rather, it is we who are thankful to everyone for allowing us to serve our fellow Filipinos.
Of course, to ensure that more of our Filipinos are better served, I also never tire of pushing for more people-centered and service-oriented laws.
I have recently filed several measures aimed at providing stronger protection to and promoting the welfare of our social workers, disaster response personnel, employees, former presidents, Department of Foreign Affairs retirees, educational personnel, students, and consumers.
Particularly, I introduced Senate Bill No. 1707, which seeks to provide competitive remuneration and compensation packages to social workers in the country; SBN 1709, which aims to grant hazard pay to our disaster response personnel; SBN 1706, which proposes to adjust the monthly pension and disability benefits of DFA retirees; and SBN 1784, which pushes for additional benefits and privileges to former presidents of the Philippines.
I have also filed SBN 1785, which proposes the use of standardized date labels on consumer products; and SBN 1705 which seeks to amend Article 95 of the Labor Code of the Philippines by increasing the service incentive leave of employees in the country from five days to ten days for every year of service rendered.
Finally, for our students and educational personnel, I have filed SBN 1708, or the proposed “Free College Entrance Examinations Act of 2023” and SBN 1786, or the proposed “Public Higher Education Institutions Mental Health Offices Act of 2023”.
If passed into law, SBN 1708 will mandate the waiving of college entrance examination fees to underprivileged graduating high school students and high school graduates belonging to the academic top ten of their graduating class. On the other hand, SBN 1786, if enacted, will require the establishment of a mental health office on the campuses of public HEIs. The said office shall set up a campus hotline with dedicated and trained guidance counselors to assist the whole HEI community.
The road ahead toward full recovery might still be full of challenges, but every help we extend and every effort we make to better protect our fellow Filipinos and uplift their lives is one step forward in ensuring that no Filipino is left behind in our goal of providing a safer and more comfortable life for all.