Senate President Franklin Drilon. FILE PHOTO
Elated by the latest survey showing him with the highest public satisfaction rating among the country’s top officials, Senate President Franklin Drilon on Tuesday vowed to continue to lead the Senate as a “reform-oriented institution whose works directly benefits the nation.”
From +29 last June, Drilon’s net satisfaction rating jumped to a “good” +42 (with 61% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied, and 19% undecided) based on the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from September 2 to 5, 2015.
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“I am humbled and much thankful for the people’s trust, support and confidence in my leadership of the Senate, and it is inspiring to see that our hard work to improve the lives of Filipinos does not go unnoticed,” the Senate leader said in a statement.
Drilon said his latest SWS rating was the highest he got since he assumed the Senate presidency in July of 2013.
He attributed this surge to the Senate passage of much-needed and long-sought reforms to the country’s education, health, economic and judicial systems like the passage of the Iskolar ng Bayan Act, the Graphic Health Warning Act, the Foreign Banks Liberalization Act, and the amendments to the Sandiganbayan Law.
Under his watch, the Senate also passed laws on major improvements to the country’s public services, like the UNIFAST Act, the Open High School Act, the act on mandatory PhilHealth coverage for all senior citizens, and the act that raised the tax-exemption limits for bonuses and benefits up to P82,000.
It was also under his leadership when landmark laws which languished in Congress for decades were enacted into law, such as the Philippine Competition Act and the amendments to the Cabotage law, Drilon said.
The Senate leader then promised the public that he would “continue to strive to lead the Senate and ensure that it is an institution that fully and urgently responds to the needs, concerns and pleas of the nation – especially that of our underprivileged countrymen.”
“Indeed there is no better way to win the hearts of our fellow Filipinos than by actually doing your mandate and by helping them improve their lives, through effective and much-felt laws and policies,” he said. IDL