Restoring Public Confidence: Minority Leader Urges Marcos Admin to 'Walk the Talk'

House minority leader Marcelino Libanan stated that restoring public confidence in government remains an unfinished task, urging the administration to 'walk the talk' on promises made during President Marcos' recent State of the Nation Address (SONA). Libanan welcomed commitments such as lowering energy costs, increasing workers' take-home pay, and curbing corruption. However, he stressed that "our work is far from finished." Citing the Philippines' ranking of 114th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, he asserted that Filipinos deserve a government that holds accountable those who tarnish public service, emphasizing that transparency fosters investor confidence. While acknowledging the "gains" made by the Marcos administration, Libanan insisted that the "true state of the nation cannot be measured by macroeconomic indicators alone." He argued that the daily realities faced by millions of Filipino families, rather than just economic reports, should be the true measure of national progress. He posed questions about whether parents can provide adequate meals, workers can earn a dignified living, and farmers and fisherfolk receive fair compensation. Libanan noted that Filipinos do not expect perfection but anticipate a gradual improvement in their lives annually. He emphasized that a nation's true wealth lies in the well-being of its people, and economic growth is valuable only when it enables every Filipino to live with dignity, security, and hope. He also highlighted education as the greatest equalizer, an investment that crises cannot take away, and stated that an economy cannot be truly inclusive if those who feed the nation remain poor.