After six years as the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte earned several achievements that arguably make him efficient in the role he assumed in 2016.
One way to look at his successes as the head of the executive government is by looking at the numbers or statistics reported based on his performance.
Here are some of them:
60+ satisfaction ratings
Duterte maintained a “very good” satisfaction rating in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey show results from last December. He achieved a +60 rating, eight points higher than his previous +52 rating in September 2021. Part of the criteria in the survey is the efficiency of the various programs he rolled out recently.
SWS President and CEO Linda Luz Guerrero explained that Duterte continues to enjoy the “honeymoon phase” of his leadership because his ratings remain above the +30 to +49 marks.
Guerrero also said there’s no clear explanation for his high ratings, but respondents consider other factors that define his administration.
The survey reported that Duterte’s administration received a net satisfaction rating of “very good” with +61 points based on the survey’s respondents. In the meantime, his other efforts, such as helping the poor and the campaign against illegal drugs, received a rating of “very good” (+54) and “good” (+46), respectively.
516,000 hectares given to 405,800 farmers
Under the Duterte administration, 405,800 farmers around the country received a total of 516,000 hectares.
His marching orders to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) encouraged the agency to implement real agrarian reform and help improve the lives of its recipients.
The DAR now continues to empower beneficiaries with training and financial assistance that have reached 1,626,097 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). Since August 2021, 897,882 farmer-ARBs availed financial assistance worth P18.7 billion.
3.3M Filipinos assisted in Malasakit Centers
One of the many facets in the Philippines that Duterte focused on as president is the health sector. As a result, he signed Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which aims to reduce a hospital bill to the lowest amount possible by covering various patient services and expenses.
The Malasakit Center combines the efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office under one roof to provide easy access to government financial and medical assistance, particularly to indigent patients.
Although it was Duterte who signed the law to Malasakit Center possible, it was Bong Go who principally authored and pushed it in the Senate.
Presently, there are 80 Malasakit Centers in Luzon, 37 in Mindanao, and 29 in the Visayas.
109, 035, 343 Filipinos provided with universal healthcare
In February 2019, Duterte signed the Universal Health Care Bill into law, bringing in massive reforms in the Philippine health sector.
The UHC Law expands the population, service, and financial coverage through various health system amendments. It also has a planned paradigm shift to primary care, which is the core and center of all health reforms under the UHC.
All Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods, services, and protection against financial risk. The UHC helps ensure every Filipino is healthy, protected from health hazards and risks, and has access to affordable, quality, and readily available health services suitable to their needs.
6M Filipinos lifted from poverty
Over the years, government officials struggled with poverty. It comes as no surprise that even Duterte had to find solutions to an ongoing problem present even before he assumed the presidency.
However, eradicating poverty is no easy feat. By mid-2019, Duterte appealed to congress to pass measures that help government lift six million Filipinos out of poverty. He began imposing tax reformations and other initiatives such as standardized wages to support his goal.
Eventually, his administration was able to meet this objective.
According to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the reforms that Duterte set, along with positive economic developments that boosted the purchasing power of Filipinos, reduced the country’s poverty incidence from 23.3 percent in 2015 to just 16.6 percent in 2018.
Ultimately, 5.9 million Filipinos lifted themselves from poverty in the first three years of the Duterte presidency.
813 COVID-19 facilities
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging problem that Duterte faced in his term. As the number of cases increased, so did the public’s demand for a medical solution to the global health crisis.
Eventually, Duterte’s administration built a total of 813 COVID-19 facilities throughout the Philippines to provide the patients afflicted with the virus the care and attention they need to recover.
24,253 drug-cleared barangays
Before assuming the presidency, Duterte vowed to solve the drug problem in the Philippines. He then started the “War On Drugs” campaign to further his efforts and apply his plans on a national scale.
Among the organizations that the incumbent president tapped into are the local government units (LGUs) like cities and barangays. They worked closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP), military personnel, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to apprehend suspects involved with drug trafficking.
The PDEA later reported, as of December 2021, that 24,253 barangays throughout the country are free of drugs. However, a total of 11,175 barangays have yet to achieve this status.
Local authorities also dismantled a total of 993 drug dens and 18 clandestine shabu laboratories from July 2016 to December 2021. Moreover, a total of 14,240 high-value targets across the country were arrested since the anti-illegal drugs campaign was launched on July 1, 2016.
Meanwhile, various types of illegal substances worth P75 billion were seized, including P63 billion worth of shabu. Authorities also arrested 323,579 persons involved in illegal drugs during Duterte’s administration.
Apart from these numbers, there’s no denying that Duterte left a significant impact on the Philippines during his term. And like the other presidents who came before him, his legacy will go down in history because of his achievements and unique approach to leadership.
