IV. Marcos Deserted Accomplishments
It is a Filipino trait to have long memories on the mistakes one has
done and has short memories on the good one has accomplished. This axiom
defines the invictus of President Ferdinand Marcos. The fictioned awful
acts attributed to him and to his family shunned his achievements and
contributions to our country.
Looking back at history, during the Marcos administration, social
justice finds concrete translation in development plans and programs.
These interventions were focused on eliminating illiteracy, expanding
employment opportunities, sharing the fruits of development equitably
and introducing requisite of institutional change. The measures of
development—the Gross National Product (GNP), literacy rate, and life
expectancy had been secured during his lead. Let us count the ways:
I. Food sufficiency
A. Green Revolution
Production of rice was increased through promoting the cultivation of
IR-8 hybrid rice. In 1968 the Philippines became self-sufficient in
rice, the first time in history since the American period. It also
exported rice worth US$7 million.
B. Blue Revolution
Marine species like prawn, mullet, milkfish, and golden tilapia were
being produced and distributed to farmers at a minimum cost. Today,
milkfish and prawns contribute substantially to foreign exchange income.
C. Liberalized Credit
More than one thousand rural banks spread all over the country resulting
to the accessibility of credit to finance purchase of agricultural
inputs, hired labor, and harvesting expenses at very low interest rate.
During 1981-1985, credit was available without interest and collateral
arrangements. Some of the credit programs were the ff:
1. Biyayang Dagat (credit support for fishermen)
2. Bakahang Barangay –supported fattening of 40,000 head of cattle in farmer backyards
3. Masaganang Maisan, Maisagana, and Expanded Yellow Corn Program
–supported 1.4 Million farmers through P4.7 Billion loans from 1975-1985
4. Gulayan sa Kalusugan and Pagkain ng Bayan Programs –provided grants
and loans of P12.4 Million to encourage backyard and communal production
of vegetables and improve nutrition of Filipino households
5. Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (KKK)—supported 25,000
entrepreneurial projects through P1.8 Billion and helping 500,000
beneficiaries
D. Decontrol Program
Price control polices were implemented on rice and corn to provide
greater incentive to farmers to produce more. Deregulation of trading in
commodities like sugar and coconut and agricultural inputs like
fertilizer were done for more efficient marketing and trading
arrangements.
II. Education Reform
Access to free education widened during the Marcos Administration. The
biggest portion of the budget was allotted for Educational Programs
(P58.7 Billion in 20 years). The literacy rate climbed from 72% in 1965
to 93% in 1985 and almost 100% in Metro Manila on the same year.
III. Agrarian Reform
Tenant’s Emancipation Act of 1972 or PD 27 was implemented without
bloodshed. This was the first Land Reform Code our country. Since it was
implemented until December 1985, 1.2 million farmers benefited, either
they became the owner or leaseholder in more than 1.3 million hectares
of rice and corn lands.
IV. Primary Health Care
The Primary Health Care (PHC) Program made medical care accessible to
millions of Filipinos in the remotest barrios of the country. This
program was even awarded by United Nations as the most effective and
most responsive health program among the third world countries. With PHC
life expectancy increased from 53.7 years in 1965 to 65 years in 1985.
Infant mortality rate also declined from 73 deaths per 1,000 live births
in 1965 to 58 in 1984.
V. Housing for the masses
Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) Housing project
had expanded the government’s housing program for the low-income
group. Massive slum upgrading projects have improved to 14,000 lots in
1985 from 2,500 in 1976. The Tondo foreshore, for instance, is one of
the biggest and most miserable slum colonies in Asia was transformed
into a decent community. A total of 230,000 housing units were
constructed from 1975-1985.
The laws on socialized housing were conceptualized by President Marcos
through a series of legal issuances from the funding, the lending,
mortgaging and to the collection of the loans. These are governed by the
Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund), the Housing and Land Use
Regulatory Board (HLURB) and the National Home Mortgage Finance which
remain intact up to the present
VI. Energy Self-Reliance
Indigenous energy sources were developed like hydro, geothermal,
dendrothermal, coal, biogas and biomass. The country became the first in
Asia to use dendrothermal and in five years we became number two, next
to US, in geothermal utilization. The extensive energy resource research
and exploration and development resulted to reduction of oil imports
from 100% in 1965 to 40% in 1985 and in the same year, more than 1,400
towns and cities were fully energized.
VII. Export Development
During 1985 textile and textile products like garments and embroideries,
furniture and rattan products, marine products like prawns and
milkfish, raw silk, shoes, dehydrated and fresh fruits were exported
aside from the traditional export products like coconut, sugar, logs,
lumber and veneer. The maritime industry was also dominated by Filipinos
wherein 50,000 seamen were employed by various world shipping
companies.
VIII. Labor Reform
The Labor code was promulgated which expanded the concerns of the Magna
Carta of Labor to extend greater protection to labor, promote
employment, and human resource development. The minimum wages of the
workers were boosted through the guaranteed 13th month pay and cost of
living allowances. Employment potentials of Filipinos were enhanced
through skills training. During that time, there were 896,000
out-of-school youths and unemployed graduated from various training
centers all over the country.
IX. Unprecedented Infrastructure Growth
The country’s road network had improved from 55,778 kilometers in 1965
to 77,950 in five years (1970), and eventually reached 161,000
kilometers in 1985. Construction of irrigation facilities was also done
that made 1.5 million hectares of land irrigated and increased the
farmer’s harvest and income. In addition, nationwide telecommunication
systems—telephone systems, telex exchange too centers, and
interprovincial toll stations were also built.
X. Political Reform
The structure of government established by President Marcos remains
substantially the same except the change of name, inclusive of
superficial features in laws, to give a semblance of change from that of
President Marcos regime.
The only significant department that was abolished after the departure
of President Marcos was the Department of Ministry of Human Settlements
under Imelda Romualdez Marcos. It was dismantled but the functions were
distributed to different offices.
XII. Fiscal Reform
Government finances were stabilized by higher revenue collections and
loans from treasury bonds, foreign lending institutions and foreign
governments.
XI. Peace and Order
In 1966, more than 100 important smugglers were arrested; in three years
1966-68 they arrested a total of 5,000. Military men involved in
smuggling were forced to retire.
Peace and order significantly improved in most provinces however
situations in Manila and some provinces continued to deteriorate until
the imposition of martial law in 1972.
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