Eliseo Ruel Rioja

At midterm, Marcos’ education and infrastructure targets are still in progress

In Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first three SONAs from 2022 to 2024, ABS-CBN Fact Check tracked a total of 19 promises or issues his administration has vowed to address in the education and infrastructure sectors.

Article (news)

By the time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes the stage on July 28 to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address, he is already halfway through his term.

Rowena Caronan

Kevin Luis Fernandez

ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

<div>[[PHOTO ALBUM]] </div><div><br/></div><p>By the time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes the stage on July 28 to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address, he is already halfway through his term. </p><p>In Marcos’ first three SONAs from 2022 to 2024, ABS-CBN Fact Check tracked a total of 19 promises or issues his administration has vowed to address in the education and infrastructure sectors. </p><p>Only 5 of those promises have been fulfilled, while 11 are in the works or are yet to be implemented, and 3 are yet to be assessed due to a lack of data.</p><div><strong>Addressing the shortage and gaps </strong></div><p>Of the 10 promises Marcos made to education in the past three SONAs, three were completed, five are ongoing, and two are yet to be assessed. </p><p>Shortage in classrooms, textbooks, and teachers has been among the key issues in education since Marcos assumed office in June 2022. They earned a spot on his first agenda, and yet despite his administration’s efforts, as things stand, they could remain a pressing issue. </p><p>According to Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, the classroom backlog was at 165,000 as of May 2025, and it would take 30 years to address this given the current allocation. In a budget deliberation in September 2024, it was also revealed that schools remained unprepared in terms of modern learning as of 2023. </p><p>The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) report showed that the delayed distribution of textbooks persisted in January 2025. This was despite Marcos’ promise to shorten the process of approval and procurement from three years to only one year. </p><p>Although new teaching positions were filled and non-teaching personnel was augmented, Education Undersecretary Willie Cabral admitted in May 2025 that the country still fell short of teachers to achieve optimal learning. </p><div><strong>Some losses, some wins </strong> </div><p>Since 2022, Marcos has eyed better international rankings for Philippine higher education institutions, particularly in the field of Engineering and Technology. But only the University of the Philippines ranked in the QS Rankings for Engineering and Technology and Life Sciences and Medicine in 2025. </p><p>Marcos also promoted more accessible alternative learning and technical-vocational education and training (TVET), especially for out-of-school youth to land decent jobs. But a 2023 report from EDCOM II revealed that the majority of TVET graduates in 2021 earned below minimum wage. </p><p>Despite falling short of some goals, the Marcos administration was able to implement policies that aim to ease the financial burdens of teachers. These include the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS)-issued Personal Accident Insurance (GPAI) policy, and the Special Hardship Allowance (SHA) </p><p>To strengthen literacy, numeracy, and good citizenship among students, the new MATATAG K-10 curriculum was also implemented beginning School Year (SY) 2024-2025 in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 4, and 7. The revised curriculum primarily aims to streamline subjects and focus on foundational skills. </p><p>Marcos also allocated P28.9 billion in 2025 for free higher education in state universities and colleges. This is higher than the previous year. </p><div><strong>Infrastructure push </strong></div><p>In his past SONAs, too, Marcos vowed to heavily spend on infrastructure and strengthen past initiatives to boost the economy. </p><p>Marcos promised P9 trillion worth of 194 flagship projects. He also committed to building and improving transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports, ports, and terminals, and emphasized the digital infrastructure initiative of the previous administration. </p><p>Of the nine promises he made related to infrastructure, only two were completed, while six are ongoing, and one is yet to be assessed.</p><p>The government’s overall infrastructure disbursements from 2022 to 2024 totaled P4.2 trillion, and as Marcos promised, yearly spending represented 5.8% of the gross domestic product. </p><p>Two of Marcos’ priority projects are the P1.24-billion Samar Coastal Road Project in Northern Samar, completed in 2023, and the P8-billion Panguil Bay Bridge in Northern Mindanao, completed in 2024. The LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project Phase 1 also began operations in November last year. </p><div><strong>Work remains unfinished </strong></div><p>While the financial target was reached and some projects were achieved, many of the administration’s flagship initiatives are yet to be completed. </p><p>As of April 2025, the government has 207 infrastructure flagship projects worth P10.43 trillion, based on data from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development. Only 7 have been completed, while 73 are ongoing, with timelines stretching from 2025 to beyond 2028. The rest are in various stages awaiting implementation. </p><p>The government has 19 projects focused on airport development, and 10 are for ports. Most of these are not due until after Marcos’ term ends in 2028. </p><p>The four transport terminal projects he mentioned in previous SONAs – Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao High Priority Bus System, Ilocos Norte Transportation Hub, and El Nido Transport Terminal – are also 10% to 80% finished, according to the Department of Transportation. </p><p>Four major railway projects worth P427 billion are expected to become fully operational between 2027 and 2032: North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway Project, MRT Line 7 Project, and Manila LRT1 Extension. </p><p>Meanwhile, of the 44 public-private partnership projects approved under the Marcos administration, two big-ticket projects are still being implemented, as per the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Project is expected to be completed by 2030, and the UP-Philippine General Hospital Cancer Center Project is currently in the bidding stage. </p><div><strong>More in number, poorer in quality </strong></div><p>Despite the increase in national roads and bridges in 2024 compared to 2021, infrastructure quality may have declined. Based on data from the Department of Public Works and Highways, fewer roads and bridges were considered in good condition, and more needed major repairs or rebuilding. </p><p>The national road network grew by 2,314 kilometers from 2021 to 2024. While 1,363 more kilometers were rated “fair”, suggesting some improvements, overall conditions appear to worsen, with 956 fewer kilometers rated “good” and 823 more rated “poor” and “bad.” Unassessed segments also rose by 1,084 kilometers, indicating monitoring gaps. </p><p>Similarly, while there were 461 more national bridges in 2024 compared to 2021, overall conditions declined, with 368 fewer bridges rated as “good” and an additional 640 classified as “fair” and 191 as “poor.”</p><p>On internet connectivity and accessibility, three phases of the National Fiber Backbone Project successfully laid down over 3,000 kilometers of new fiber optic cable in several parts of the country. The government also allocated at least P15 billion in total for its Free Wi-Fi Program from 2022 to 2025, but whether the program meets the 2 Mbps minimum internet speed per user has yet to be assessed due to scarce data. </p><div><strong><em>-- with research from Aila Iglesia and Aisha Manginsay, Research and Verification Interns</em></strong></div>

<p>In Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first three SONAs from 2022 to 2024, ABS-CBN Fact Check tracked a total of <u><b>19</b></u> promises or issues his administration has vowed to address in the education and infrastructure sectors.</p>