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'Build better, do more': Marcos men lay out next steps after 2nd SONA

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Cabinet members on Tuesday laid out the plans of their respective departments after President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr&#x27;s second State of the Nation Address laid out the challenges ahead for the country.In his SONA, Marcos said the Philippines has already bounced back from the &quot;severe unemployment&quot; during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic but acknowledged that more needs to be done. &quot;As of May this year, our employment rose to 95.7 percent, a clear proof of the improvement from the severe unemployment we experienced during the height of the pandemic. Employment then was at a low of 82.4 percent,&quot; the President said.&quot;But even with our current high level of employment, we must do more. We will generate additional jobs for the remaining 4.3 percent of our workforce, as well as the 11.7 percent underemployed Filipinos seeking better employment opportunities,&quot; he added.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2732451" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said job generation will be aided through investments brought about by President Marcos&#x27; business trips abroad as well as linkages with business organizations in the country.He said the labor department has identified the agriculture, tourism, IT, power and renewable energy sectors as possible sources for more job opportunities. Laguesma said Marcos&#x27; challenge to &quot;do more&quot; should be adopted as a whole-of-nation approach and should not just apply to the government.&quot;We have to do more. Lahat po tayo kasama ang pribadong sektor may pagawaan at negosyo,&quot; he said. The labor chief said that while the Philippine economy is slowly recovering, the ultimate goal of the Marcos administration is inclusive growth, reduction of poverty incidence to a single digit and creation of more jobs. &quot;There are humps along the way but if every Filipino helps, we can reach our goal,&quot; he said.<div>BUILD BETTER MORE</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is among the priority infrastructure projects of his administration. Handout/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/life/10/20/20201020-cavite-bataan-bridge.jpg"/><figcaption>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is among the priority infrastructure projects of his administration. Handout/file</figcaption></figure></div>Similarly, the Marcos administration is also ramping up infrastructure push through its P8.3 trillion Build Better More program. In his SONA, Marcos said the government currently has 194 major infrastructure projects including the the Bataan-Cavite Interlink bridge, the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island bridges, 1,200-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway network, the Megabridges program, and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project. Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said that once completed, the 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite interlink bridge will be the second longest bay bridge in the world, with financing by the Asian Development Bank.&quot;Ito yung mga iconic bridges... One span is 900 meters. It will be a technically challenging structure. Medyo mahal ng kaunti, [worth] more than P200 billion,&quot; he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. Engineering design for the interlink bridge has been finished, Bonoan said, adding that financing and documentation are still being worked out. The Luzon Spine Expressway network, meanwhile, will increase expressways from Laoag to Bicol, he said, while engineering plans for the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island bridges have already been finished. Marcos earlier said the Luzon tollway network will cut travel time between Ilocos and Bicol to just 9 hours, from 20 hours at present. Bonoan said the DPWH will also rehabilitate EDSA, which will cost about P20 billion.

Cabinet members on Tuesday laid out the plans of their respective departments after President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's second State of the Nation Address laid out the challenges ahead for the country.