Filipinos in B.C. coming of age politically

FILIPINOS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

OF AGE

By: Zeala Cortes

Adinner party hosted by Kapitan Tiago marked the political awak ening of Filipinos in the literary masterpiece Noli Me Tangere, by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The ti tle loosely translated in English means “Touch Me, Not”. Fast forward more than a hundred years, in the auspicious province of British Columbia, Canada, a potluck dinner party hosted by the sea soned political organizer Boni Barcia, a former vice president of the Hospital Employees Union, was held on a warm Sunday afternoon on August 28th, 2022 in their backyard. A modern-day polit ical awakening in the far away land we now call home; as the warm radiant sun wrapped everyone in a subtle energy of renewed vigor, camaraderie, and coop eration.

The main guest of honour was former B.C. Attorney General David Eby, the front runner in the race to become the next leader of the BC NDP. He will

become the Premier of the Province if he wins the leadership race. The new leader will be announced on December 3rd, 2022.

The frenzy, excitement, and the taste of summer was truly palpable, as evi denced by 2 mouth watering lechons on the buffet table. A sure indication of the support and trust by the Filipino Canadian community to honour the candidacy of Hon. David Eby to be the next premier of British Columbia. His track record of community service has been noteworthy, even before his foray into politics when he famously beat out then Premier and MLA Christy Clark in her own riding to become the MLA of Vancouver-Point Grey in the 2013 general elections. David Eby gets things done!

Before he was elected, David was the Executive Director of the BC Civil Lib erties Association, an adjunct profes

sor of law at the University of British Columbia, president of the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and served on the Van couver Foundation's Health and Social Development Committee.

An award-winning human rights law yer, he has been repeatedly recognized in local media as one of British Colum bia's most effective advocates and has appeared at all levels of court in BC. His years of legal advocacy at Pivot Legal Society to protect the human rights and dignity of homeless and under-housed residents of Vancouver's Downtown East side were recognized in 2011 by the UN Association in Canada and the B.C. Human Rights Coalition with their annual award.

In attendance at the dinner party were the serving Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Coquitlam Hon. Bonita Zarrillo, the Speaker of the Legisla

Filipino

Serving the Lower Mainland

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. was inaugurated as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines

By: Ms. Royce Salen

The National Museum of Fine Arts in the City of Manila and surrounding streets were closed to traffic on June 30, 2022, for the inauguration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

“YOUR DREAMS ARE MINE. YOUR HOPES ARE MY HOPES. HOW CAN WE MAKE THEM COME TRUE? HOW CAN WE DO IT TOGETHER? BUT I WILL TAKE IT AS FAR AS ANYONE WITH THE SAME FAITH AND COMMITMENT CAN AS IF IT DEPENDED ENTIRELY ON HIMSELF.”

what needs doing—by you, by me. We do not look back, but ahead. Up the road that we must take to a place better than the one we lost in the pandemic,” he continued.

The new President also shared his dream for the nation and encouraged everyone to commit to working together towards the achievement of these dreams.

Attended by the first family, foreign dignitaries, local officials, and national officials from the government’s executive, legislative, and judiciary branches, the program proper commenced at around 11:30 a.m.

The ceremony started with a prayer led by several religious group leaders, while the Philippine National Anthem was performed by Ms. Toni Gonzaga.

This was followed by the MilitaryCivic Parade, featuring the country’s uniformed men from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Philippine National Police (PNP) and their respective armors and vehicles, as well as representatives from several sectors such as the medical frontliners, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), national athletes, and transport workers.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who won the 2022 presidential race with 31 million votes, took his oath of office before Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

He then delivered his first speech as the new Philippine President. He looked back on the presidency of his father, Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. He hailed his father’s leadership and legacy.

In his inaugural address, Marcos, Jr. focused on the future. As he mentioned, “I am here not to talk about the past...I am here to talk about the future.”

“A future of sufficiency, even plenty of readily available ways and means to get done

According to him. “Your dreams are mine. Your hopes are my hopes. How can we make them come true? How can we do it together? But I will take it as far as anyone with the same faith and commit ment can as if it depended entirely on himself.”

During his campaign, Marcos, Jr.’s key message was unity. He also highlighted this during his inaugural address by saying, “When

to fight the next pandemic. To start with, we never got over the pandemic of poor, if any, free public health,” he said.

He promised to continue the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

He also gave an overview of his plans for the education sector. He said, What we teach in our schools, the materials used, must be retaught. I am not talking about history, I am talking about the basics, the sciences, sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational skills such as in the German example.”

my call for unity started to resonate with you, it did so because it echoed your yearning, mirrored your sentiments, and expressed your hopes for a family, for the country, and a better future.”

He also vowed to fix the shortcomings of the previous administration in terms of the COVID-19 response. “We won’t be caught unprepared, under-equipped, and understaffed

He took over the role of the Agriculture Secretary to reorganize the Department and prioritize food selfsufficiency. As he said in his inaugural speech, “The trade policy of competitive advantage made the case that when it comes to food sufficiency a country should not produce, but import what other countries make more of and sell cheapest.”

This is just the start for the newly inaugurated President. More detailed plans may possibly be heard during the new President’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA), which is set on July 25.

THE POWER OF DIGITAL MARKETING

By: Mr. Martin Bitalac

The days when we relied on old-school marketing platforms such as newspa pers, magazines, billboards, and radio an nouncements are, as they say, fast approaching.

It cannot be denied that these platforms were a real solution in making the brands that have

online media platforms have created them an opportunity to make purchases from not only well-known brands but also micro-businesses

been praised for decades now a real hit and it can be said confidently that it would never be the same without the use of the traditional marketing platforms. But the intelligent and creative people in the world of the marketing industry never get satisfied with the results that they have been achieving. They would always want more: more results, more reach, more target, and hence, more sales.

In the past decade, the marketing industry has innovated and is still in the process of finding the best marketing plan there is to achieve those marketing goals at the end of their boards within their offices. They have been in a lot of awe when the different online platforms came into the industry and unexpected reactions to unimaginable results surprised them when marketing was incorporated with the social media marketing platforms that are present today.

Facebook, Youtube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Tiktok are currently among the top 5 list of social media platforms today. These applications that we’re sure you are on your smartphones right now, use different app integrations and unique algorithms of their own to target a specific market that is being set by the marketers.

In this way, these platform advertisements are considered to be one of the essentials in every marketing team’s action plan. One of the

ways that these works are those in between videos you get annoyed too when you are in the middle of a video, or advertisements that suddenly pop up when you open an application on your phone. We are sure you are wondering how these advertisements know what you are looking for or what knowledge they have and why the perfect timing with the correct advertisements for you.

The answer? Algorithms.

Applications sometimes track your current activities which makes it their basis on what advertisement is the right one for you. But fear not, it does not mean that you are always tracked and watched. There is always an option for these applications to ask not to track your activities. These social media platforms, how unsafe may they be, are one of the marketing industry’s not-so-secret weapons to make each of their brands known not only locally, but internationally.

We cannot deny how helpful this innovation in marketing this has been. It has reached more potential markets that lead to an increase in sales, it made a big difference especially for small businesses to make their brands known, it caused not only positive remarks to the businesses but also to the platforms which helped customers reach out to their most wanted businesses and finally purchase and have what they have been eyeing for the past decades now because of the easily achievable business to customer communication made.

The social media platforms are not the only ones that have benefited here but they also gave a chance to the customers to know more about their brands, and realize that online media platforms have created them an opportunity to make purchases from not only well-known brands but also micro-businesses.

Innovation plays a big part in the marketing industry. It helped businesses make connections from their out-of-reach market and widen the range of their capabilities to convert the marketing plans to actual sales. The mentioned online media platforms gave the abilities to businesses that traditional marketing strategies did not give.

What we should always remember is that we must always learn how to adapt to compete with our competitors in the industry while of course maintaining the company’s unique selling propositions and competitive advantages. With that in mind, brace yourselves for what is yet to come, adapt, evolve, and let us just enjoy the new and continuously improving digital marketing world.

Filipino Now The

Useful and relevant news on business, finance, technology and geopolitics.

Editor

Thina Abando

Writers and Contributors

Zeala Cortes

Thina Abando Martin Bitalac

Royce Salen

Pastora Eva Manabat

Layout and Design

Albion Marketing

Publisher

Filipino Star Magazine

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DON’T LOSE YOUR SOUL TO GAIN THE WORLD

By: Pastora Eva Manabat

What do you benefit if you gain the world but lose your own soul?

There is nothing more valuable than a person’s soul. To trade that away is the epito me of foolishness. If a person rejects Christ for the sake of anything in this life, he will lose his soul.

Esau despised his birthright, choosing stew instead; Genesis 25:29-34

Judas sold the Savior for a few pieces of silver; Matthew 26:15

Demas loved this present world and forsook the ministry. 2 Timothy 4:10

All three men thought they were gaining some thing but actually lost everything.

First time to see this kind of questions ?

What are you worth?

What is your value?

What would you barter or trade for your soul ? Can you think of anything worth more than your soul?

These are the questions and thoughts Jesus wants us to deeply consider as we follow Him throughout life.

Mark 8:34-38, “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may yo

whole spirit and soul and body be kept blame less until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful”.

You are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27 )

You are made up of “spirit and soul and body.” All three are connected. Your “soul” is the mind, the will, and the emotions of you.

Your soul is what makes up your thinking, feeling, and doing. Your soul is what houses your thoughts, values, passions, intentions, and aspirations. Your soul is the real you.

Mark 8:37/ Is anything worth more than your soul?

Jesus is asking you, Is anything worth more than your soul?

Let’s look at Hebrews 4:12 which says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (NLT).

When you begin to let the Word of God work in your life it will begin to do surgery in your soul. It will exposed the real you to you.

You will discover what sins you really struggle with and you will discover who you really are in Christ.

The Word of God has the ability to go deep within you and reveal to you why you think the way you think and why you do what you do.

The word of God does this for the purpose of helping you grow spiritually and maturing you in your walk with God.

One of the responsibilities of a pastor is to “watch over your soul.” The pastor job is to pay attention to how you think, how you feel, and what you do. But pastor cannot fix your soul, only God can do that.

Pastor can present to you the Word of God that can do surgery on your soul. Pastors responsi bility is to teach the Word of God in such a way that it helps you to think more like Christ, react more like Christ.

1 Peter 1:8-9 says, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

9 The reward for trusting him will be the salva tion of your souls”

Mark 8:36 Jesus asked, “And what do you ben efit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

37 Is anything worth more than your soul?”

“The whole world “, Jesus is comparing two things: “the whole world” and “your own soul.” He is laying before you “the whole world” and one soul, your soul.

He wants you to think about the value of each one. The value of the world and the value of your soul.

What does Jesus mean by “the whole world”?

The “world” (kosmos) refers to the world sys tem of evil of which Satan is the head together with the pursuits, pleasure, purposes, people, and places where God is not wanted.

Jesus is asking, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” This word “lose” is best translated or understood to be forfeit. It was a business term that means “to punish by demanding a forfeit.” To forfeit something is to lose or be deprived of some thing as a penalty of wrongdoing. When you try to gain the world and reject God the penalty or consequence of this wrongdoing is to lose or be deprived of your soul.

Luke 12:15-20

15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not mea sured by how much one owns.”

16 Then Jesus told this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods. 19 Then I can say to myself, “I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!”’

Your soul is what makes up your thinking, feeling, and doing. Your soul is what houses your thoughts, val ues, passions, intentions, and aspirations. Your soul is the real you.

It includes the mass of thoughts, opinions, speculations, hopes, impulses, aspirations in the world that oppose God in any form. He is referring to anything and everything the world can offer.

Jesus is using an extreme example to cover everything anyone could possibly want in the world. Jesus says what good would it do if a person were able to “gain the whole word.” This person controls all the nations, all the influence, all the people, all the pleasures, all the money, all the land, and everything else the world has. He has gained the whole world. Let’s say a person was able to do this and accomplish gaining the whole world, what is the profit in it at the end of his life?

1 John 2:15, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

16 For the world offers only a craving for phys ical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:15-17,

No one will be able to gain the whole world, but even if you could gain a large portion of it would it still be worth losing your soul over?

That’s the question.

20 “But God said to him, ‘Foolish man! Tonight your life will be taken from you. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’

I want to tell you this, God wants you to be wealthy, it is His will for His children to prosper even in material or financial. But I encourage you to be rich also toward God. Invest your life, time, energy, finances, resources, and your soul into the things that have eternal value. For His sake and the sake of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 But store your treasures in heaven where they can not be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Does your life say, “Money is worth more than my soul” or “Acceptance is worth more than my soul” or “Happiness is worth more than my soul” or “Being right is worth more than my soul.”

LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR SOUL

Mark 12:28, “One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?

29 Jesus replied, ‘The most important com mandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength’”

Take your mind, will, and emotions and love God with all you’ve GOT not only your earthly treasures . Surrender yourself completely to Jesus. Love Him and follow Him with all your SOUL.

>> continued from page 1. Filipinos in B.C. coming of age politically...

Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Hon. Ravi Kahlon, the Minister of Health Hon. Adrian Dix, the Minister of Education Hon. Jennifer Whiteside, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Hon. Anne Kang, and Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen, The MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam Hon. Rick Glumac, Daniel Tetrault and our very own Maita Santiago, who are both running for councillor in the City of Burnaby.

Notable Filipino Community advocates who were pres ent and contributed to the event were Mrs. Eula Stein, Chairperson of the First Filipino Credit Union, husband and wife Founders of One Fil Coop Tony and Josie Calderon, Spiritual leader of the CMMI Ministry Pastora Eva Manabat, members of the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary’s, members of Migrante, represented by Boying Anonuevo and Alda De Aza. Many other Filipino entre preneurs also supported the event, which was covered by Rowena Papasin of ABS-CBN. Music and entertainment were provided by Roger Albay and friends.

Interesting issues were brought up, specifically regard ing trade between British Columbia and the Philippines, as well as advances in FinTech by subject matter expert Francisco Cortes, founder and owner of the Easy Padala remittance app, and a prestigious 2011 Dragons’ Den winner.

This coming of age politically of Filipino Canadians in British Columbia hopes to gain more momentum in the years to come, transcending more than the symbolism of the lechon for hope and the promise of prosperity. As the revelry of the Filipino party and the summer lights began to fade; remaining in the heart of hearts of every Filipino is the hope that the NDP will make good on their prom ises.

Above: Selfie with Hon. David Eby (back right) and Filipino community leaders and advocates, taken by Hon. Ravi Kahlon (bottom left).

Contrary to popular belief, real estate may not the best investment nowadays! Especially since cities in Canada are now among the most expensive in the world .

A million dollar mortgage will require a combined gross income of over $200K a year, which means you’re paying close to $100K in income taxes yearly.

But before you get a mortgage, be prepared to make a 20% down payment ($200K). For the rst year, that’s a total initial capital outlay of $300K for a $1M property.

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Building the Nation while Eliminating Division

By: Thina Abando

Themost recent national and local elec tions in the Philippines held in May 9, 2022, has been a challenging one for the nation.

The division among the voters has been apparent throughout the campaign

started to resonate with you, it did so because it echoed your yearnings, mirrored your sentiments, and expressed your hopes for family, for country, and for a better future. That is why it reverberated and amplified as it did, to deliver the biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.” This served as his acknowledgment of the Filipino people’s response to their call for unity.

season. Social networking sites and online communities have been in chaos. Several friendships were ruined; fake news and negativity have been widespread.

As the elections has concluded, with the Filipino people having elected a new President, it is about time to set aside each and everyone’s differences in political beliefs and personal opinions; and instead, work together towards nation-building.

On June 30, 2022, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. was inaugurated as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines. In his inaugural address, he gave an overview of his plans for the country during his term. Some of the plans he highlighted included fixing the shortcomings of the previous administration in terms of COVID-19 response, addressing the impacts of climate change, prioritization of food self-sufficiency by giving urgent attention to agriculture, finding ways to address the problem in energy supply, improvement of the education and health sectors, and continuation of infrastructure development.

During the campaign season, Marcos, Jr. together with his runningmate, the newly inaugurated Vice President of the Philippines, Sara Duterte-Carpio, have been consistent with their call for unity; thus, branding their teamup as “Uniteam.”

In his first speech as the new President, Marcos, Jr. said that, “When my call for unity

The election results, with 31 million Filipino people voting for Marcos, Jr, only proved that most Filipinos have agreed to take part in nation-building together with the newly elected President. At the end of the day, it is inevitable for the Filipino people to unite towards the betterment of the country. Marcos, Jr. recognized the role of all Filipinos towards achieving the country’s goals by saying that, “I fully understand the gravity of the responsibility that you’ve put on my shoulders. I do not

take it lightly but I am ready for the task. I will need your help; I want to rely on it. But rest assured I do not predicate success on the wide cooperation that’s needed.”

It is not just the responsibility of the country’s leaders to build our nation as each and every citizen of this country plays a very significant role. It is necessary to start by removing political colors and giving full support to the new administration. While it is normal to criticize, may it be a constructive one for the improvement of the performance of public servants and the quality of government services they are providing.

The President’s plans for the country in the next six years are truly promising. Instead of wishing that he fails, it would be best to hope and pray for the success of these plans. It is only right to move forward as one nation, while keeping a positive mindset with the right attitude.

The President’s job is not easy. Bouncing back after the pandemic is challenging. Recovering from the adverse economic effects of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is tough. Achieving success of the administration’s plans is not a walk in the park. But nothing would be impossible if every Filipino would take responsibility and be an instrument towards nationbuilding.

Photo by: Inquirer.net

Photo by: Panay News

Photo by: Bayanihan Foundation Worldwide

THE DUTERTE LEGACY

These projects have not only led to infrastructure development but also have improved logistics in the country and have generated jobs and business opportunities.

Drug War and Crime Reduction

The Marawi Siege

By: Ms. Royce Salen

President

Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s term as Philippine President has come to an end. In the six years of his leadership, the coun try has faced several challenges, the toughest of which is the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the challenges, President Duterte has consistently gotten high approval and trust ratings. Two months before ending his term, he received a 75 percent approval rating and 69 percent trust rating, according to the PAHAYAG 2022 second-quarter survey by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. is Executive Director, Atty. Aureli Sinsuat said, “No other president who served under the 1987 Constitution has ended his or her term with majority approval and trust ratings, much less a supermajority of public support.”

How was he able to receive such high ratings? Let’s take a look at his key accomplishments during his six years of Presidency.

“Build, Build, Build” Program

The Duterte administration, through its “Build, Build, Build” program, marked the “Golden age of infrastructure” in the Philippines.

Over 29,000 kilometers of roads, 5,900 bridges, 150,000 classrooms, 11,300 evacuation centers, and 650 airport and seaport projects, were built or still are being completed. In terms of transportation projects, some of the more popular projects completed were the Skyway, Cebu Mactan International Airport, upgrades of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT), and the Philippine National Railway (PNR) facilities, PUV modernization, and CebuCordova Bridge. Also currently in progress are the Metro Manila Subway and Subic-Clark Railway Project.

One of President Duterte’s promises is to eliminate illegal drugs in the country in the first six months of his term. However, he later admitted that he underestimated the country’s drug problem and was overwhelmed by the gravity of this problem. While he has not succeeded in eliminating illegal drugs from the country a hundred percent, he has accomplished a significant reduction in numbers. Under his watch, a total of 25,061 barangays were declared drug-free out of the 42,045 barangays in the Philippines, according to the data of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Besides the reduction of illegal drugs in the country, the country’s crime rate also dropped by 73.76 percent from 2016 to 2021. On February 21, 2022, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said that from 131,699 cases in 2021, the

One of the biggest challenges of the Duterte administration was the Marawi siege wherein the government’s forces battled with ISISaffiliated fighters in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, which began on May 23, 2017. The Islamic State militants also included the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups.

President Duterte declared martial law over Mindanao on May 23, 2017, which lasted until December 31, 2019, after the third extension has lapsed.

The five-month-long battle became the longest urban battle in Philippine modern history. It was reported by the Philippine military that 954 militants, 165 soldiers, and 67 civilians died during the entire battle.

An even greater challenge faced by the administration was the rehabilitation of Marawi. A month before President Duterte stepped down, Marawi’s rehabilitation was 72 percent complete, and it is expected that at the end of the third quarter of 2022, it will be 95 percent complete.

Boracay Rehabilitation

On April 26, 2018, President Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay Island to give way to its rehabilitation and redevelopment. The President saw the urgent need to address worsening sewage conditions and environmental destruction on the island.

Six months after its rehabilitation, Boracay Island reopened with stricter rules leading to its preservation, thus making it another milestone for the Duterte administration. Now, tourists can enjoy a cleaner and better Boracay.

Tax Reforms

Several tax reform measures were passed during President Duterte’s term, which made the Philippines one of the fastestgrowing economies in Asia. Some of these tax reforms were the following:

crime index was reduced to 34,552 cases 2021, which according to him is attributable to the President’s efficient program against all forms of criminality.

RA No. 10963Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law (December 19, 2017), which provided income tax cuts for

Photo by: pia.gov.ph

the taxpayers while raising funds for the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

RA No. 11213 – Tax Amnesty Act (February 14, 2019), which allowed taxpayers to settle estate taxes, with reasonable tax relief to those with outstanding estate tax liabilities.

RA No. 11346 – Tobacco Tax Law (July 25, 2019), which increased the excise taxes on tobacco products and subjected to excise taxation on other related products such as electronic cigarettes.

RA No. 11467 – Sin Tax Law (January 22, 2020) increased the taxes on alcoholic beverages and electronic cigarettes.

RA No. 11534 Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) (March 26, 2021), which provided tax relief for enterprises and reduced the corporate income tax of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from 30 to 20 percent.

Efficient Delivery of Government Services

On May 28, 2018, President Duterte signed into law, RA No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (EODB Act), which streamlined the existing systems and procedures of government services. This law

COVID-19 Response and Health Prioritization

One of the biggest challenges faced by the Duterte administration was addressing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation. While there have been several shortcomings, President Duterte was able to do

According to the latest data, almost 80 percent of the target Philippine population has been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus through the national vaccination program, which is also a key accomplishment of the Duterte administration in terms of COVID-19 response.

The passage of RA No. 11223, or the “Universal Healthcare Act” on February 20, 2019, came in handy during the pandemic, as the national government provided medical services to those COVID cases ranging from mild to moderate to severe.

Even before the pandemic, RA 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 was signed into law on December 3, 2019, which provided a one-stop shop for government medical assistance, making medical services more convenient and accessible to indigent Filipinos. This law also obliged the government to establish Malasakit Centers in all hospitals under the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital. There are 149 fully operational Malasakit Centers across the nation, which have assisted more than 3.3 million Filipinos since the law’s enactment in 2019.

effectively amended RA No. 9485 or the AntiRed Tape Act of 2007.

RA No. 11517, also known as “An Act Authorizing the President to Expedite the Processing and Issuance of National and Local Permits, Licenses and Certifications in times of National Emergency” was also signed into law on December 23, 2020, to improve the quality and efficiency of the delivery of government services.

a fair job in mobilizing relief during lockdowns and providing medical assistance to those inflicted with the virus. Millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were repatriated, and assistance to enterprises was provided.

It was identified by former Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles that the key accomplishments of the Duterte administration in terms of COVID- 19 response were the establishment of COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratories all over the country and the implementation

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte might be flawed in many ways but it is important to note his accomplishments and significant contributions to the country during his six years of leadership. As he stepped down from power on June 30, 2022, many Filipinos became emotional and expressed their gratitude towards him for his good service, commitment to the Filipino people, and genuine love for the nation.

of a COVID-19 biosurveillance program.

Photo by: Forbes.com

Photo by: Mindanews