00:00President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s activities were hectic this week.
00:05Let's go back to Kenneth Paciente's report.
00:11On the first day of the week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held a virtual meeting
00:16with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.
00:21The three leaders discussed the deepening of trilateral cooperation between the Philippines, US, and Japan.
00:28It was also one of the discussions on the progress of the adoption of the Trilateral Joint Vision Statement last April
00:35which is a blueprint for the implementation of trilateral cooperation between the three countries,
00:40especially in the important talks that will benefit them.
00:44The President also had a meeting with the Agriculture Department and Economic Managers.
00:49Here, the President emphasized that the government should not neglect the support of farmers,
00:54especially during the planting season.
00:56The Executive Board of the Budget Department also issued a directive to do the necessary steps to help farmers.
01:04On Tuesday, the Chief Executive of the Health Department ordered that the services of PhilHealth
01:10should not be excluded from the Zero Subsidy for State-Owned Health Insurers.
01:14The President also encouraged the DOH to change the agency's view on this from medicine to prevention.
01:22The President also wanted the DSWD's programs to be excluded from the Unprogrammed Appropriations next year.
01:28He said that this is so that the Philippines can benefit from the Government Welfare Programs.
01:34The DSWD spent Php41.8 billion in additional funds from the Unprogrammed Appropriations
01:41to establish the Pantawid Pamila Pilipino Program or FORPIS from August to December 2025.
01:48The Chief Executive of the DICT also emphasized the agency's priority on the Common Tower Program or CTP,
01:55especially that more Filipinos can benefit from it.
01:58The DICT said that it has more than 400,000 direct beneficiaries
02:02and estimated that more than 2 million indirect beneficiaries can benefit from the CTP.
02:08The DICT also emphasized that from 250 government systems,
02:12only 1,277 were improved through digitalization under the Marcos Jr. Administration.
02:20The President also received a courtesy call from the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margarita.
02:27The two leaders expressed their support for the partnership between the two countries.
02:32The President also received a phone call from the outgoing U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris.
02:37Here, the President expressed his confidence that the alliance between the Philippines and the United States will be stronger
02:43even if its leader changes.
02:45Harris also emphasized the importance of the continued support of the U.S. in the Philippines,
02:50especially in the continued aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea.
02:54On Wednesday, the Chief Executive ordered the Department of Budget and Management
02:58to return the Php400 million branding budget of the Tourism Department.
03:03According to the President, it is only right to continue strengthening the image of the country,
03:07especially in the international stage,
03:09in line with the work of the history of some Filipino artists and athletes.
03:14The DOD also urged the President to reach Php760 billion
03:18for the International Visitor Receipt in the country in 2024.
03:22The President also expressed his support for the construction of the Virology and Vaccine Institute
03:27of the Philippines or VIP Building in his meeting with the DOST.
03:31This is a preparation for the possible ending of the global pandemic.
03:35The Chief Executive assured that the government is looking for a way
03:39to secure the funding for the project.
03:42The President also emphasized the importance of the construction of more and larger dams
03:47in the meeting with the National Irrigation Administration or NIA.
03:51He assured that the government supports the funding of irrigation programs,
03:56such as some projects in Ilocos Norte and Tarlac.
03:59The President also welcomed Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi
04:04in a courtesy call.
04:05Here, the President expressed his confidence for the continued discussion
04:10about the Tripartite Agreement
04:12and the strengthening of the commitment of the Philippines
04:15to strengthen the economic ties in Japan,
04:18cooperation on security and other global affairs.
04:22In his meeting with the DPWH,
04:24he agreed to speed up the completion of critical infrastructure projects
04:29to ensure that the public benefits from the government's early and effective service.
04:34He should also prioritize project maintenance,
04:37feasibility studies, and the issue of right-of-way
04:42to speed up the implementation of projects.
04:45In his meeting with the DepEd,
04:47the President emphasized the budget gap for projects of the agencies
04:50despite the priority of the government in the education sector.
04:54The President's point is that this is the sector that should be funded.
04:59The DepEd only received P737 billion from its P748 billion proposal.
05:06However, the President also gave his promise and commitment
05:09to improve education.
05:11The President also emphasized the importance of improving
05:14the Skills Development Program in his meeting with TESDA.
05:18He also emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation with industry leaders
05:22to create more jobs for Filipinos.
05:26He also ordered the agency to review their strategies
05:29and to ensure that these projects are in line with the administration's goal
05:34to achieve an inclusive and sustainable economy.
05:38Kenneth Paciente for Pambansang TV in Bago, Philippines.
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