PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for his well-delivered State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 26. He emphasized that it is up to the Filipino people to judge and attest to the success of his presidency and the positive change this administration has brought to their lives.
Go expressed confidence that the realities on the ground speak volumes of the successes of the Duterte Administration as a whole to address the most important challenges facing the country.
In a pair of television interviews given on Monday, July 26, Go said that President Duterte has delivered on his campaign promises to tackle problems of corruption, criminality and illegal drugs while strengthening the competitiveness of the economy through rapid infrastructure development and other programs that aim to provide a more comfortable life for all.
“Nung nangangampanya pa siya, ito ang ipinangako niya---labanan ang korapsyon sa gobyerno, labanan ang kriminalidad at labanan ang iligal na droga. Iyon ‘yung tatlong malaking problema ng ating bansa, including insurgency. Napakahirap ‘nun pero binoto siya ng tao dahil umaasa sila na magkaroon ng pagbabago sa buhay nila,” said Go.
“Magiging biased ako kung sasabihin ko ganito ang nagawa niya. Tanungin niyo na lang ang taumbayan kung nakakalakad na sila ng ligtas sa gabi, ‘yung mga anak natin kung nakakauwi sila na hindi nababastos at nasasaktan ng mga adik,” he continued.
The Senator added that he had personally heard from Filipinos who are grateful for the administration’s continued emphasis on peace and order, and credited the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for their contributions to the campaign to address crime and violence in communities.
“Kapag pumupunta ako sa abroad, nagpapasalamat (ang overseas Filipino workers) sa Pangulo. Mayro’n na raw silang peace of mind habang nagtatrabaho. Napakahirap magtrabaho sa ibang bansa, na mapalayo sa pamilya mo, lalong-lalo na kung iniisip mo kung ang mga anak mo ay nakakauwi sa inyong pamamahay,” he shared.
“Maraming salamat sa pulis at militar dahil kung hindi sa inyo, mahihirapan si Pangulong Duterte na matupad ang kaniyang mga ipinangako,” he said.
In addition to the President’s campaign promises, Go also highlighted the successes of the government’s Free Higher Education program which was created under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act which Duterte signed into law in August 2017.
The program has assisted nearly 1.6 million students, as of May 2021, 1.3 million of whom are from 112 state universities and colleges nationwide. The government has also sponsored the enrollment of over 500,000 primarily disadvantaged students in private institutions through the Tertiary Education Subsidy.
Other major legislative accomplishments include the Universal Health Care Law which provides affordable quality healthcare services to every Filipino; the Malasakit Centers Act which provides quick and convenient access to the government’s various medical assistance programs; and the Salary Standardization Law 5 which increased the salaries of government employees, including nurses and teachers.
“Ramdam ng mga kababayan natin ‘yung pagbabago na ginawa ni Pangulong Duterte. Dinadagdagan na lang niya ‘yung free education sa mga state colleges and universities, universal healthcare at Malasakit Center na ating ini-sponsor,” continued Go.
