Palace Cites Major Accomplishments of Pres. Aquino’s Administration in 2015

Malacañang on Tuesday cited some of the big accomplishments, including the huge reduction of Filipinos working abroad, of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III in 2015.

”The number of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) has been reduced by I think, 400,000 to 500,000,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing.

In his last State of the Nation Address (SONA), Pres. Aquino said the number of OFWs had been reduced from 9.51 million in 2011 to 9.07 million in 2014.

Coloma said the poverty reduction through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program also highlighted the Aquino administration’s achievements this year.

”We will also be able to reduce the number of out-of-school youth because of the K-to-12 and CCT or 4Ps,” Coloma said.

He said the Philippines was also able to maintain its status as one of the growing economies in Asia.

”We were able to maintain our positive investment grade rating,” Coloma said.

Coloma said the Philippines has also shown its integrity as a country through the successful hosting of the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit last month and the visit of Pope Francis in January.

Coloma also cited the high level of public optimism as “expressed by a great majority of our people” in the two year-end surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.

”The Aquino administration will intensify its efforts in implementing vital programs that would broaden the scope of social welfare and protection, generate employment and livelihood opportunities for our countrymen, and sustain the gains of the economy during the past five years,” Coloma said.

The PCOO chief is hoping that the Filipino people will be able “to persevere in securing the gains” that the Philippines has achieved under the Aquino administration.

”The President often refers to the importance of a transformation or change in mindset among our people,” Coloma said.

”That whereas before many of our people were resigned to hopelessness or despair, it is now palpable and evident that more of our people are hopeful and optimistic about the future, what was deemed to be impossible is now deemed possible, and there is an overall upbeat mood that would be a good augury for the future of our country,” he added.

Coloma said for the past five years and half, Pres. Aquino became committed to acknowledge his responsibility and commitment to his bosses, the Filipino people, through his reform programs entitled “A Social Contract with the Filipino people.”

”He acknowledged his responsibility and commitment to give the Filipinos a better future, to open more significant opportunities and because the people recognized that he did the best he can, the President did what he has promised,” Coloma said.

”And because of the determination of his government to be transparent, honest in public service, I think these are the elements that boosted his confidence. It is what we called recognition of the President’s personal integrity and commitment as a leader,” he added.

In the remaining six months of the Aquino administration, Coloma said the President intends to improve the bureaucracy by changing the salary scale of the government employees “to increase their desire to improve public service.”

”Our intention is to build stronger public institutions because if we can instill to their minds the kind of public servants that we want to expect from them, this will strengthen the bureaucracy,” Coloma said.

Next month, both the Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to finally approve the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 2015 which seeks to increase the salary of the public servants in the next four years.

Aside from salary increase, the SSL 2015 package includes a mid-year 14th month pay, and an enhanced performance-based bonus (PBB) system.

Coloma said the President is still hoping for the passage of the priority bills particularly Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). (PNA) JMC/JFM