MANILA -- Like the rest of the nation, those under the Duterte administration highly anticipate the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte this coming July 26, 2021.

This administration has come so far under the leadership of President Duterte since it started in 2016. It has opened doors, broken barriers, and overcame problems, it has made achievements for the country that only this administration has been able to realize.

With regard to the Philippine economy, DuterteNomics has paved the way for unprecedented socio-economic reforms and developments which helped in alleviating poverty as well as sustaining economic growth.

It has promoted the 25-year long-term Ambisyon Natin 2040, which envisions a prosperous Philippines where a predominant middle-class society enjoys long and healthy lives, are smart and innovative, and lives in a high-trust society.

This administration has also breathe new life to our long neglected infrastructures, with spending on public works rising 5 to 6% relative to our GDP, ushering in the “Golden Age of Infrastructure” for the country. This can be compared to the lesser spending at 1.6% to GDP from 2001 to 2010 and 3% to GDP from 2011 to 2016.

Under the Build, Build, Build Program, we have completed projects related to airports, seaports, transport terminals, flood mitigation structures, roads, bridges, highways, mass public transportations, evacuation centers, and classrooms, among others.

It has also generated 6.5 million jobs from 2016 to 2020 to support our labor market and contribute to our collective rise as a developing nation.

The Duterte administration has also initiated and enacted laws and orders which support social services that impact not only the current generation but future ones, such as the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

We also take pride in the peace and security efforts of the Duterte administration. We have witnessed this in the creation of BARMM, through the Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the region can prosper with peace and stability.

Under this administration, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 was signed to give the country more teeth in curbing threats and acts of terrorism, given the risks posed by domestic and international terrorism.

It has also aimed to capacitate all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines such as the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Army, by embarking on a proactive and aggressive modernization program that will protect and ensure our country’s sovereignity and territorial integrity from any threat.

Our anti-illegal drugs campaign also witnessed groundbreaking achievements. We have seized a total of PHP 59.93 billion worth of illegal drugs, dismantled 789 drug dens and 18 clandestine laboratories, cleared 22,093 barangays of illegal drugs, and rescued 3,736 children from the threat of drug-related activities, among others, as of May 2021.

These are just some of the major achievements the Duterte administration has realized over five years of truthful, efficient, effective, and proactive public service. And we can expect the continuation of this exemplary public service in the final year of this administration.

The President’s last SONA will highlight the Tatak ng Pagbabago that he will leave behind for all Filipinos, by discussing the administration’s accomplishments and legacies on multifaceted governance.

He will be cover economics, social services, infrastructure, peace and security, and our independent foreign policy, among others. It will further include where we are with regard to these aspects to provide the people a clear picture of our current situation.

It will also be an opportunity for the President to set out the directions and plans of the government for the remaining year as we continue to be a source of change for the better while addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rest assured we will continue to open doors, break barriers, and overcome difficulties in our final year of service under President Duterte’s leadership, and we will continue to work in order to achieve and realize our aims and goals of collective development as a nation. (PCOO)