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HOME  ❯  SONA 2022 PROMISE TRACKER  ❯  Social Services

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Editor’s note: This tracker was updated on July 23, 2025. It was first published on July 17, 2023.

(UPDATED) With only one of his 17 promises to improve the government’s delivery of social services fulfilled, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. admitted that he deserves a grade of “incomplete” for his first year in Malacañang.

Four of Marcos’ proposed pieces of legislation to improve the administration’s health response, especially against COVID-19, have not been enacted into law. These include the creation of a Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a Virology Institute of the Philippines, and a Medical Reserve Corps. He also asked for new specialty hospitals in various parts of the country — similar to the Philippine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines — that will be accessible to Filipinos living outside Metro Manila.

Marcos continues to improve the government’s social protection programs for Filipinos heavily affected by poverty, calamities and disasters. In January, inflation reached an all-time high of 8.7% since November 2008, which was the last time a global financial crisis occurred.

On Jan. 31, Marcos ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to continue improving the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). He asked Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to provide relief goods even before calamities strike.

As Marcos completed his first year in office, VERA Files looked into how he fared in the 17 promises on social services he made during his inaugural State of the Nation Address:

Promises

Check The Sources

Update 2025
On provide quick disaster response
Department of Social Welfare and Development, DSWD ready for new storm; 3M food packs prepositioned in 938 warehouses nationwide, June 6, 2025
Department of Budget and Management, General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2025, January 2, 2025
 
On strengthening Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program
House of Representatives, House passes bill institutionalizing AICS program, June 6, 2025
Department of Budget and Management, General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2025, January 2, 2025
Department of Social Welfare and Development, Guidelines to strengthen the implementation of the AICS, Feb. 17, 2014
 
On cleansing list of 4Ps beneficiaries
Philippine News Agency, 4Ps supports nearly 9M kids — DSWD, February 12, 2025
Philippine Statistics Authority, PSA Champions Data-Driven Action Against Poverty at the Philippine Poverty Reduction Summit 2025, July 14, 2025
 
On sustaining and enhancing feeding programs
Radio Television Malacañang – RTVM, PCO Press Briefing with DSWD, June 17, 2025
Department of Social Welfare and Development, DSWD hikes feeding program budget to meet 1.5M kids’ nutritional needs, June 17, 2025
 
On passing a bill establishing a Medical Reserve Corps
Senate of the Philippines, Bills – Senate of the Philippines, n.d.
Senate of the Philippines, HEALTH EMERGENCY AUXILIARY REINFORCEMENT TEAM (HEART) ACT, n.d.
Senate of the Philippines, Senate Bill No. 1131, 19th Congress, Nov. 8, 2022
House of Representatives, House Bills and Resolutions, n.d.
 
On strengthening VAWC programs
Philippine Commission on Women,
PCW Unveils New National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women on the 20th Signing Anniversary of the Anti-VAWC Act (RA 9262), November 28, 2024
 
On fund centers for vulnerable sectors
Department of Budget and Management, General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2025, January 2, 2025
Department of Budget and Management, General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2024, December 23, 2023
 
On passing a bill creating a Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Vaccine Institute
House of Representatives, Rep. Romualdez bill seeks to create Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, June 30, 2025
House of Representatives, NEARLY 700 HOUSE MEASURES FILED ON DAY 1 OF 20TH CONGRESS, July 1, 2025
Senate of the Philippines, PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL (CDC) ACT, February 13, 2023
 
On establishing specialty hospitals like Heart Center and Lung Center in regions outside Metro Manila
DOH Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau, List of Hospitals, June 30, 2025.
Philippine Information Agency, The Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center: World-class hospital care goes to the barrios, Feb. 26, 2025.
Clark Development Corporation, PBBM’s Healthcare Expansion Advances as Clark Pediatric Building Tops Off, May 9, 2025.
 
On improving welfare of health care professionals
Department of Budget and Management, Healthcare workers to receive remaining HEA claims PANGANDAMAN APPROVES RELEASE…, July 5, 2024
Department of Budget and Finance, On the additional funding requests for HEA; DBM, DOH requests COA Special Audit for HEA, Feb. 28, 2025
Inquirer.net, Emergency allowance of healthcare workers now 90% paid, says DOH, Sept. 21, 2024
Manila Bulletin, DOH: 90% of health emergency allowance paid to frontline healthcare workers, Sept. 21, 2024
Philippine Information Agency, Health emergency allowance, 90% paid by DOH, Sept. 22, 2024
 
On ordering Philippine Competition Commission to remove cartels among pharmaceutical companies to lower prices of medicine
Philippine Competition Commission, TAKING IT UP A NOTCH: 2024 ANNUAL REPORT, Feb. 26, 2025
 
On encouraging everyone to get booster shots vs COVID-19
Presidential Communications Office, Malacañang Press Briefing of Palace Press Officer and Pco Undersecretary Claire Castro with Department Of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, National Kidney Transplant Institute Director Dr. Jose Dante Dator, PhilHealth President & CEO Dr. Edwin Mercado, June 19, 2025
Presidential Communications Office, DOH closely monitoring COVID Nimbus variant, June 20, 2025
Commission on Audit, Performance Audit Report COVID-19 NATIONAL VACCINATION PROGRAM (CNVP), December 2024
 
On enrolling children of OFWs in good schools
Philippine News Agency, OWWA opens applications for scholarship program for OFWs, families, November 4, 2024
Philippine Information Agency, Qualified OFW dependents in Soccsksargen receive OWWA’s scholarships, June 18, 2025
 
On passing a bill creating a National Virology Institute of the Philippines
Senate of the Philippines, Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano lead push for Virology Institute in Senate, February 3, 2025
Senate of the Philippines, VIROLOGY INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES (VIP) ACT, June 9, 2025
Update 2023
Presidential Communications Office, Media Interview by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Following the Cebuana Lhuillier Kanegosyo Center Launch, June 29, 2023
Philippine Statistics Authority official YouTube channel, Press Conference on January 2023 Inflation, Feb. 7, 2023
Bank for International Settlements, The impact of the global financial crisis on the Philippine financial system – an assessment, accessed July 7, 2023
Presidential Communications Office,​​ Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the 72nd Founding Anniversary Celebration of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Inauguration of the New Multi-Purpose Building, Jan. 31, 2023
Philippine News Agency, DSWD puts up warehouse in Aurora for quick disaster response, Oct. 17, 2022
On strengthening VAWC programs 

On providing quick disaster response 

On strengthening the AICS 

On cleansing the list of 4Ps beneficiaries 

On sustaining and widening supplemental feeding program 

On ensuring capacity of healthcare system 

  • Department of Health, Personal communication (email), July 6, 2023
  • Department of Health, Personal communication (email), July 14, 2023

On encouraging everyone to get booster shots vs COVID-19

  • Department of Health, Personal communication (email), July 7,2023
  • Department of Health official website, ​​Vaccination tracker, accessed July 2, 2023

On passing a bill creating a Center for Disease Control and Prevention 

On passing a bill creating a National Virology Institute of the Philippines

On establishing specialty hospitals like Heart Center and Lung Center in regions outside Metro Manila

On creating new Rural Health Units and clinics 

On improving welfare of health care professionals

On passing a bill establishing a Medical Reserve Corps

On ordering Philippine Competition Commission to remove cartels among pharmaceutical companies to lower prices of medicine 

  • Philippine Competition Commission, Personal communication (email), July, 4, 2023
  • Philippine Competition Commission official website, Republic Act No. 10667, accessed July 2, 2023

On condensing 240-section handbook for migrant workers into a pamphlet

  • Department of Migrant Workers, Personal communication (email), July 3, 2023
  • Department of Migrant Workers official website, Land-based OFW handbook, accessed July 2, 2023
  • Department of Migrant Workers official website,  Sea-based OFW handbook, accessed July 2, 2023

On enrolling children of OFWs in programs on financial literacy, mental wellness, sports, arts and culture 

On protecting the creative industry