MANILA -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is enjoying high approval ratings because he has fulfilled his promises to the people, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Monday.
In an interview, Secretary Andanar cited the accomplishments of the administration including that of its three known campaigns against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption. He also highlighted policies that greatly favored indigent Filipino families and vulnerable sectors in the country.
“Kaya nga po ang approval rating ni Presidente base sa Pulse Asia nung 2020 ay nasa 91% dahil na rin po sa mga pangako niya nung 2016 ay ipinatupad niya sa loob ng limang taon ng kanyang pamumuno [The approval rating of the President based on the Pulse Asia report last 2020 was at 91% because he was able to fulfill the promises he made last 2016 within the 5 years of his leadership],” Secretary Andanar said.
This included the government’s Malasakit Center which has already served more than 2 million indigent Filipinos seeking medical and financial assistance, since it was passed into law in 2019.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop-shop that helps poor and indigent patients through the support of government agencies that include the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Department of Health (DOH).
“[Dahil] gusto ni Presidente na libre yung gamot at pagpapagamot ay dinagdagan pa niya ang pondo para sa ating mga mahihirap na kababayan. Mahigit dalawang milyong Pilipino na po ang nakinabang dito sa Malasakit Centers [Because the President wants free hospitalization and medicine, he augmented the allocation intended for the poor. Now, there are over 2 million Filipinos who benefitted from Malasakit Centers],” he said.
The PCOO chief also highlighted how small-time farmers are now enjoying the provisions of the Free Irrigation Service Act.
According to the law, farmers with landholdings of eight hectares or less are exempted from paying the irrigation service fee for water sourced from national and communal irrigation systems constructed and administered by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and other government agencies.
Secretary Andanar said that it is important that the PCOO takes part in informing the public about the accomplishments of the President through the roll out of the Duterte Legacy Communications Campaign.
“It is important to report in order for the Filipino people to know whether the President has delivered his promises based on what he has said during the previous elections in 2016. And it is clear that he did,” he said. (PCOO)
