MANILA, Philippines- Sinabi ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., na hindi talaga maiiwasan ang pagkakaiba ng posisyon at pananaw sa politika subalit ang malakas na kolaborasyon sa hanay ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan ay susi para makamit ang development agenda.
Sa pagsasalita sa mga Visayas governor at mga opisyal ng “One Cebu” sa Cebu Provincial Capitol sa Cebu City, pinayuhan ni Pangulong Marcos ang kanyang kapwa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na huwag magambala o maabala ng mga usapin “that would only deter our work and affect the people who are counting on us.”
“Our effectivity as elected public officials is defined by how we remain true to our mandate to serve, to lead, and empower our fellow Filipinos,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos.
“It cannot be discounted that disagreements and contradicting views are inevitable, but let us be reminded that our shared commitment is to the greater good and that must be our unifying force,” dagdag niya.
Sa kabila ng nananaig na political differences, winika ng Pangulo na hindi niya pinagsisissihan ang maging halal na Pangulo ng bansa.
Binigyang-diin na ang pag-upo sa pinakamataas na posisyon sa bansa, “is the greatest honor and privilege that any human being can ever be granted by his own people.”
Tinuran pa ni Pangulong Marcos na ang public service ay magiging ganap kung ang “like-minded” public servants ay committed sa pagtatatag ng “more reliable, a more efficient, a more compassionate government.”
Kinilala rin ni Pangulong Marcos na ang development initiative ng kanyang administrasyon at tinawag itong “ambitious,” at nagpahayag ng pagtitiwala na ang malakas na kolaborasyon sa pagitan ng national at local governments ay magta-transform sa plano sa reyalidad.
Sinabihan naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang mga lokal na opisyal na huwag mag-aksaya ng panahon sa paghahatid ng reporma na kailangan ng kanilang mga constituents, sabay sabing dapat na “always serve with integrity, with responsibility, and passion in our hearts.”
“Our people cannot afford to wait for the benefits of economic growth to trickle down and to translate into improved services, modern infrastructure, and better livelihood. We must take the initiative so that distribution of wealth has a mechanism because without such a mechanism, there is no such thing as trickle down,” giit niya.
“I’ve seen this in the past where the theory was that if big corporations are wealthy, that wealth will trickle down. Well, it will only do so with the initiatives that are brought in by our local government officials and our public servants. It does not happen by itself. It happens because you all make it happen,” dagdag na pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.
Sinabi pa ni Pangulong Marcos na “collaboration has driven development across various industries, generating more job and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.”
Pinuri naman ng Chief Executive ang lokal na gobyerno sa Visayas, sabay sabing ang pagsisikap nito ang dahilan para ang Central Visayas ay maging “the fastest growing region in the country,” na may expansion rate na 7.3% noong 2023.
Idinagdag pa nito na ang Eastern Visayas ay nagpapakita rin ng pambihirang 6.4% growth, mas mabilis kaysa sa gross domestic product ng bansa sa kaparehong taon.
Gayunman, binigyang-diin ni Pangulong Marcos na “there is much that needs to be done,” sabay sabing may pangangailangan na ituloy ang pag-develop sa iba’t ibang industriya gaya ng turismo, agrikultura at manufacturing.
“That is why we are not stopping here. We are doing more. We will do more. Our duties as public servants are never-ending so we continuously push not only to maintain this growth but also to leverage on the momentum that it has given us,” ang sinabi pa rin ng Pangulo. Kris Jose