Zubiri rates Marcos’ first year in office: ‘I give him 8 out of 10’

THE THREE LEADERS: Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri (left) shakes the hand of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (center) after delivering his first State of the Nation Address at Batasang Pambansa Monday, July 25, 2022. Also in file photo is House Speaker Martin Romualdez. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is doing a “very fine” job.

This is the view Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri expressed on Thursday.

“He’s doing a very fine job. If you ask me for a grade, I give the President eight out of ten,” the Senate leader said in a press conference.

Asked which areas should the Chief Executive must focus and improve more on, Zubiri responded, it should be agriculture, among others.

“Tuloy niya lang tutukan ang agriculture sector. Rural development is the key to uplifting poverty,” he said.

(He should continue to concentrate on the agriculture sector. Rural development is the key to uplifting poverty.)

“Ang pinaka malaking poverty rates natin ay nasa rural areas,” he noted.

(Our biggest poverty rates are in rural areas.)

“Sa cities, medyo okay na. Pero kung ia-average out mo ‘yan ay tataas ang ating poverty rate dahil sa lack of development in the rural sector, which is basically 90 percent agriculture,” he explained.

(In the cities, it’s somehow already good. But if you average that out, our poverty rate will increase due to lack of development in the rural sector, which is basically 90 percent agriculture.)

Zubiri also suggested to the President that more Kadiwa centers must be built for people in the provinces.

“Itong ginagawa niyang Kadiwa stores ay napakaganda n’ya,” he said.

(These Kadiwa stores that he is doing is very beautiful.)

“If he can move it to all parts of the Philippines, [that’s better], kasi, right now, it’s only in selected parts,” he observed.

(If he can move it to all parts of the Philippines, [that’s better], because, right now, it’s only in selected parts.)

Zubiri further encouraged the Chief Executive to “carve out” a part of the Department of Agriculture that will solely focus on these stores.

This is to help farmers earn income and give consumers access to low prices of commodities at the same time.

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