By Jaime Luna and Andrea Ong
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address last Monday at Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City, marking the halfway point of his term since occupying the highest seat of the land in 2022.
With nearly three years left from his term, thebarrister reviews point-by-point on how the administration’s promises and policies on the most pressing issues have taken shape.
Healthcare System
The “Zero Balance Billing” will now be implemented on 87 Department of Health (DOH) hospitals nationwide. Filipino patients who will be admitted to DOH-run hospitals no longer have to pay to receive treatment.
“Itinuloy na po natin ang zero balance billing. Libre po. Ibig sabihin, ang serbisyo sa basic accommodation sa ating mga DOH na ospital wala nang babayaran ang pasyente dahil bayad na ang bill ninyo. Uulitin ko, wala nang kailangan bayaran ang pasyente basta sa DOH hospital dahil bayad na po ang bill ninyo,” PBBM proudly emphasizing free hospital services in government hospitals.
The list of hospitals under DOH supervision and control can be found here.
Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (R.A. No. 11524)
Marcos Jr. emphasized the critical importance of the coconut industry to millions of Filipinos who depend on coconut trees as their primary livelihood, announcing ambitious plans to revitalize this vital agricultural sector.
Starting this year, the administration targets to plant at least 15 million hybrid and high-quality coconut seedlings across various regions of the Philippines, with plans to expand this initiative until 100 million coconut trees are planted throughout the country.
To further strengthen the coconut industry, the President indicated that his administration will request Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (RA 11524) to better address the specific needs of coconut farmers.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)
Marcos Jr. announced that children from 4P’s and those added to the list through the poverty threshold will receive high priority for college education support over the next three years, expanding opportunities for higher education among beneficiaries.
“Sa mga kasama naman sa Listahanan at 4Ps: itong susunod na tatlong taon, bibigyan natin nang mataas na prayoridad ang mga anak ninyong tutungtong sa kolehiyo,” he said.
Additionally, the administration seeks to amend the 4P’s law or Republic Act No. 11310 to ensure adequate time for lifting families out of poverty.
Education
Marcos Jr.’s administration marked some much-needed developments as the government recognized the negative effects of bullying and mental health among students. With this, the government is planning to hire counselors to provide supplemental guidance for children to enable them to have greater focus on educational growth.
“Maraming mag-aaral ang nakakaranas ng bullying o kaya ay nade-depress. Binabantayan din natin ang mental health ng ating kabataan, (…) Magdadagdag tayo ng mga school counselors na magsisilbing sanggunian at gabay nila,” assured the President.
LRT 1+3 Pamilya Pass
The administration has successfully launched the “Pamilya Pass 1+3” program, allowing families to enjoy savings on their Sunday outings and church visits by providing free rides for up to three companions with every paying passenger across Metro Manila’s Light Rail Systems (LRT).
“Mayroon na po tayong 1+3 Pamilya Pass. Ito ay tuwing Linggo, para naman may kaunti pang matitipid ang pamilya sa kanilang pamamasyal at sa kanilang pagsimba.” said the President.
Additionally, the long-awaited Dalian trains, purchased in 2014 but left unused for nearly a decade due to compatibility issues, have finally been rehabilitated and deployed on the MRT-3 system. These Chinese-manufactured trains have been successfully modified and put into regular service, representing a significant step forward in improving the capacity and reliability of Metro Manila’s rail network after years of delays and technical challenges.
While there have been notable developments and achievements, many challenges and shortcomings remain.
In fact, the administration did not achieve consistent good results in its first three years. Among its most controversial shortcomings were the failure of flood control projects and the growing public distrust in the police force.
Flood Control Projects
In his SONA last year, Marcos Jr. was quoted as boasting of the 5,500 flood control projects completed throughout the country, but the recent typhoons in 2025 have fully exposed the failure of these projects. The widespread flooding and damage sparked intense public backlash, prompting the President to publicly rebuke contractors and negligent government officials:
“Mga kickback, mga initiative, errata, SOP, for the boys. Kaya sa mga nakikipagsabwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!”
Notably, the President did not stop in calling out the contractors and officials involved, and further avows to hold them accountable.
“So that this will not happen again, first, the DPWH will immediately submit to me a list of all flood control projects from every region that were started or completed in the last three years. Second, the Regional Project Monitoring Committee shall examine the list of projects and give a report on those that have been failures, those that were not finished, and those that are alleged to be ghost projects. And third, we will publish this list,” he said.
Criminality and Public Security
A series of police misconduct cases uncovered this year have recently cast doubts on the integrity and trustworthiness of the Philippine National Police. Among the most troubling are high-profile cases of police-linked assassinations during the previous administration’s War on Drugs and the unresolved case of the missing sabungeros (cockfight enthusiasts), both of which have severely tarnished the image of the police force.
Despite these controversies carrying over into the Marcos administration, no conclusive action has yet been taken against the officers allegedly involved, leaving serious concerns about accountability and justice unaddressed.
Although PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III vowed to convince the public that criminality is on the decline and that the PNP is a trustworthy agency under his watch, there is still a long way to go before the Filipinos feel confident in the police force.
Rice at P20/kilo
One of the main campaign promises of Marcos Jr. was to lower the price of rice to Php 20 per kilo. In 2024, rice prices ranged from Php 38.54 (local, regular) to Php 57.08 (imported, commercial). In May 2025, notable progress towards this promise was initiated by the government through the “Bente Bigas Meron Na” program, which offers Php 20/kg rice but is limited to select Kadiwa stores with irregular schedules. It is worth noting that the “Bente Bigas Meron Na” Program is only available to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities. Furthermore, beneficiaries are restricted to purchasing a maximum of 30 kilos of rice per month.
“Sa mga nagtatanong kung nasaan na ang ‘bente pesos na bigas’? Ito ang aking tugon. Napatunayan na natin na kaya na natin ang bente pesos sa bawat kilo ng bigas, nang hindi malulugi ang ating mga magsasaka,” said the President addressing the administration’s most popular campaign promise.
As of July this year, the subsidized rice is available at 123 locations nationwide, including 88 Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers, public market stalls, local government units, and other government-run outlets.
While this is a commendable initiative, achieving the goal of making Php 20-per-kilo rice accessible to all Filipino households remains a significant challenge.
Build Better More
As of early 2025, 148 regional and 14 national projects under Build Better More focus on connectivity. The Government targets public infrastructure spending of five to six percent of GDP from 2022 to 2028 to drive economic growth, improve quality of life, and address infrastructure gaps.
“Bago matapos ang taon, magsisimula na ang Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge. Ang tulay na ito ay 32 kilometro ang haba, na tumatawid ng Manila Bay. Kung ang biyahe ngayon mula Mariveles hanggang Naic ay umaabot ng limang oras, balang araw ito ay magiging apatnapu’t limang minuto na lamang,” said the President.
According to a report from the Asian Development Bank, under the Build Better More program, the Philippines is projected to expand its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 6.0% in 2025, up from the 5.6% growth last year. However, these growth forecasts were finalized before the 2 April announcement of new tariffs by the US administration, so these baseline projections only reflect tariffs that were in place previously. A study from the Nomura Global Markets Research estimates that the new US tariff on Philippine exports would cause a 0.4 percentage point decline in the country’s GDP annual growth target of five to six percent.
Conclusion
The Filipino people, ever vigilant, continue to scrutinize the controversial Marcos legacy—an instinct rooted in a history of hard-won democratic accountability. Whether words will translate into trust and action remains to be seen.
THE BARRISTER 