President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to further strengthen socio-economic programs to uplift the lives of ordinary Filipinos, touting the free basic accommodation in all Department of Health hospitals, the expansion of the “Walang Gutom” initiative, and the effort to ensure electricity connection for an additional one million households through solar home systems, among others.
“If we talk about data alone, our economy is doing well and business confidence has increased. Inflation eased and employment also went up,” Mr. Marcos said in his fourth State of the Nation Address.
“But all of these are just decorations and meaningless if our countrymen are struggling and burdened with their lives,” he added.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed inflation settled at 1.4 percent in June this year as government measures helped ease food prices. The number of employed Filipinos, meanwhile, went up to 50.29 million in May this year from 48.87 million in the same period in 2024.
Zero-balance billing initiative
President Marcos said Filipinos should no longer be afraid to get themselves confined at DOH hospitals.
“We have pushed through with the zero-balance billing. Patients no longer have to seek help for their hospital needs. For basic accommodation in our DOH hospitals, patients do not have to pay anything because the government already took care of your bill,” he said.
He also reported the expanded benefits of PhilHealth, including services for heart attacks, open-heart surgery, and heart valve repair or replacement as well as outpatient and emergency services; additional funds for cancer treatment; and widened coverage for kidney patients to include medicines after a transplant procedure, among others.
Food security
The President likewise said his administration is focused on aiding farmers and fisherfolk who play crucial roles in increasing food production and ensuring economic stability.
He also vowed to allocate P113 billion in funds to boost the implementation of the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” or the P20 per kilogram rice program.
“Since this administration started, more than eight and a half million farmers and fisherfolk have received assistance. We will further intensify government programs to help more,” he said.
He said the government’s goal is to boost the production of agricultural products such as rice, corn, pineapple, banana, mango, coffee, cacao, calamansi, sugarcane, onion, and garlic.
He said more Rice Processing Systems will be built and fiberglass boats will be distributed.
Health and nutrition
The “Walang Gutom” program, on the other hand, will assist 600,000 most vulnerable households with nutrition in its second year, expanding to 750,000 households by 2027, Mr. Marcos said.
He said feeding programs in daycare centers and public schools would continue, providing nutritious food and milk to over 3.5 million students.
An additional P1 billion funding will increase the number of children receiving nutritious food next year, he said.
No more crippling power outages
Mr. Marcos also pledged to put an end to widespread power outages as he pushed for sweeping reforms in the country’s energy sector, citing the recent blackout in Siquijor as a wake-up call.
When his administration began in 2022, more than five million homes across the country had no electricity, the President said, noting that this has been cut by half in the last three years.
“In the next 3 years, we will complete almost 200 plants. This has the capacity to power 4 million households or more than 200,000 factories, or almost 7,000 offices and businesses,” he said.
He ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) to meet their electrification targets by 2028, particularly in underserved areas like Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur.
By the end of 2028, Mr. Marcos said more than one million additional households will gain electricity access through solar home systems, helping families save on power costs and even sell excess energy to the grid.
Focus on education
To address education infrastructure gaps, the President said 40,000 classrooms will be built before the end of his term.
“Students should no longer lose class hours due to lack of classrooms,” he said, adding that around P60 billion in funds will be allocated again for free education in 2026.
He said the Department of Education and the Department of Information and Communications Technology will ensure internet connectivity in all public schools within the year.
Mr. Marcos also announced that high school students who graduate with high honors will become recipients of a presidential merit scholarship.
Infra support
Massive investments continue in roads, bridges, airports, seaports, Mr. Marcos said.
He said railway systems are being expanded, including the Metro Manila Subway and North-South Commuter Railway.
He said the PNR Bicol Line is being rehabilitated, while the SLEX Extension from Sto. Tomas in Batangas to Tiaong in Quezon will open in 2026.
Mr. Marcos added the rehabilitation of Guadalupe Bridge will proceed only after detour bridges are in place.
Invest in the Filipino
Amid all the socio-economic programs and infrastructure development in place, Mr. Marcos urged businesses to invest in the Philippines even as the government provides funding with low interest rates and no collateral to more entrepreneurs.
“My singular resounding message to the international business community is this: The Philippines is ready. Invest in the Filipino,” he said.
“Our cavalcade of dependable and hardworking Filipinos, innately skilled, adaptable, and possessed with a heart for service, are here, ready to work and to succeed with you,” Mr. Marcos said.
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