President Rodrigo Duterte signed several laws this month, the passage of which is worthy of cautious commendation. Regardless of how one views the administration and its leaders, these laws send a strong message about the things it considers important.
There are several health measures—the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, Expanded Maternity Leave Act, Universal Health Care Act. Essentially they guarantee affordability and accessibility of pertinent health services to Filipinos. These laws are, quite literally, deal with gut issues—millions of Filipinos are unable to avail themselves of quality health care because of its prohibitive cost.
Another new law establishes a mandatory career counseling program for high school and senior high students. Indeed, secondary school students could use the career advice at a time when options are veered toward jobs that are in vogue, or that pay relatively higher than other professions.
A new department was created as well, through Republic Act 11201—the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development consolidates the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. The measure ideally will do away with any overlap, and the resulting inefficiency, between the two former agencies, and elevates housing as a central national priority.
Mr. Duterte called precisely for the passage of the rice tariffication bill in his State of the Nation Address last year. It is hoped the new law would help manage fluctuations in rice supply more effectively, shielding Filipinos, for whom rice is a staple, from high prices.
The Revised Corporation Code seeks to make the Philippines a more attractive investment destination. The New Central Bank Act expands the powers of the Bangko Sentral to regulate non-bank financial institutions and allows it to impose administrative and criminal sanctions. The Mobile Number Portability Act allows users to switch telecom providers without changing their numbers, encouraging better quality and competition. Finally, the Tax Amnesty Act is meant to complement the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, allowing the government to raise revenues while unburdening those with past tax liabilities.
To be sure, these laws came into being with various challenges of their own. Some are more universally accepted than others; some took long years to craft; others contain provisions that some quarters find unacceptable.
But there is no such thing as a perfect law, and these measures are in themselves good—enough beginnings that articulate the Duterte administration’s vision and priorities, as well as its acknowledgment of the demands of changing times.
Now the harder part begins—actually ensuring that the lofty ideals of these laws are embodied in the details of the implementing rules and regulations, and, more tangibly, in the way the changes are carried out to the agencies and people they seek to serve. Certainly there will be difficulties, perhaps even disconnect, between the letter of the law and the way it is carried out. The Executive faces a daunting task, and now more than ever the public should offer its support —not in the least by way of feedback and, if necessary, constructive criticism.