Romualdez rates Marcos performance a ‘solid 10’ ahead of 3rd Sona
House Speaker Martin Romualdez | Photo from the official Facebook page of the House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deserves a “solid 10 out of 10” for his performance in his second year in office, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez aid on Sunday.
In videos released by his office ahead of the president’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), Romualdez said Marcos showed strong leadership despite having some room for improvement.
“I would grade the president’s performance at a solid 10 out of 10. Over the past year, he has demonstrated strong leadership and made significant strides in delivering on his promises from the last Sona,” Romualdez said.
“While there is always room for improvement, his dedication and achievements thus far are truly noteworthy,” he added.
According to Romualdez, he expects to hear Marcos highlight again how unity can lead to national progress.
“Furthermore, I anticipate a focus on the continued and immediate delivery of essential social services to ensure that the needs of the people are met promptly and effectively,” he said.
“The president will likely propose new laws aimed at simplifying and improving the daily lives of our citizens, addressing issues such as economic development, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. These initiatives will be crucial in driving our country forward and enhancing the overall quality of life for all Filipinos,” he added.
READ: Marcos’ 2nd Sona to highlight ‘significant progress’
Despite Romualdez’s high regard for Marcos’ performance, several sectors have called out the president for being unable to address different issues — like the rising prices of goods, worsening tensions over the West Philippine Sea, and the inability to provide higher wages to workers.
Last July 4, Makabayan bloc lawmakers gave Marcos failing grades as changes needed by the country to improve the economy, territorial security, labor conditions, and other sectors had not materialized.
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said that, while there were small wins gained under Marcos, many of the policies implemented by former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration were still in place.
Castro said that Makabayan would try to look at Marcos’ performance in a holistic manner, indicating that the unsolved problems outweighed whatever gains were considered by the bloc.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said she was expecting Marcos’ upcoming Sona to be just full of flowery words.
Marcos’ approval and trust ratings, according to a Pulse Asia survey released last July 17, also suffered a slight dip, from 55 percent in March 2024 to 53 percent in June 2024.
The president’s trust ratings meanwhile dropped from 57 percent to 52 percent in the same period.
Another Pulse Asia survey also showed that controlling inflation remains the top concern for Filipinos, with 72 percent of the survey respondents feeling that rising prices of goods should be immediately addressed.
Only 4 percent of Filipinos also believe that Marcos was able to fulfill a key promise made during the 2022 election campaign season — bringing down prices of rice.
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