The first half of June saw President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ‘s leadership not only as head of state but a man of action, marked by hands-on and results-oriented governance focused on improving lives and addressing both national concerns and the people’s problems.
“Ang Pangulo po aksyon, aksyon at aksyon, hindi bakasyon. Iyan po lagi ang ginagawa ng ating Pangulo,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Friday.
“Pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino at hindi pagbabakasyon ang pinagtutuunan ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Castro added.
President Marcos installed Philippine National Police Chief P/Gen. Nicolas Torre III on June 2, primarily directing the new police chief to make the people safe and secure.
After the PNP ceremony, the President turned over around PhP800 million worth of irrigation machinery and ordered the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) not to wait for the farmers to come to them before addressing the farmers’ concerns.
The following day, June 3, President Marcos saw the upgrades that have been made at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and urged continued improvement of the experience of travelers, especially of overseas Filipino workers.
On June 4, President Marcos welcomed Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to Malacañang where the two leaders deepened areas of cooperation on renewable energy, healthcare, climate change mitigation, digitalization, among others.
The Chief Executive signed on June 5 a proclamation declaring a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas to fast track the repair of the San Juanico Bridge and hasten government response to the transport crisis.
On June 6, President Marcos and his family joined Muslim Filipinos in commemorating Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, which was declared a national holiday.
President Marcos and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos the next day led the lighting of the landmark Jones Bridge in Manila, promoting the Pasig River rehabilitation project overseen by the First Lady while celebrating Filipino-Chinese cultural heritage and 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China.
A week before schools are scheduled to reopen, President Marcos visited two public schools in Bulacan on June 9 to kick off the start of the annual Brigada Eskwela school cleanup.
President Marcos’ visit brought concrete benefit for Barihan Elementary School and nearby Santisima Trinidad Elementary School in Malolos as the President’s direct order prompted water authorities to quickly fix their water supply problem.
Spurred by the President’s directive, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) said it would also address the water supply problem in other schools under the jurisdiction of 532 water districts outside Metro Manila.
During the oath-taking ceremony on June 10, President Marcos encouraged the new officials of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCII) to continue supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises.
The next day, President Marcos flew to Siquijor to personally attend to addressing the island-province’s power crisis, giving orders to permanently solve the situation within six months.
After the President’s visit, residents experienced relief from the prolonged daily blackouts with the arrival of two large generator sets to temporarily restore power in Siquijor.
From Siquijor, the Chief Executive traveled to Samar and Leyte where he directly discussed the San Juanico Bridge situation with stakeholders, including delivery truck drivers, and expedited measures to mitigate the impact of the bridge’s restricted capacity during rehabilitation.
On June 12, President Marcos and his family led the nationwide celebration of Araw ng Kalayaan in Rizal Park, Manila.
At the historic Quirino Grandstand, President Marcos called on public servants to honor the sacrifices of the nation’s heroes by holding themselves accountable to the public. | PND
