Five presidential candidates have shared their plans during the first 100 days in office during the 47th Philippine Business Conference and Expo organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on Thursday, Nov. 18.

The presidential aspirants in the May 2022 elections include Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Bong Go, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Robredo.

Former Senator Bongbong Marcos was invited, but a staff of PCCI said he “sent his regrets to us”.

All five aspirants have a common goal in their first 100 days in office—to end the pandemic and push for economic recovery by strengthening the health care system and creating more jobs for Filipinos.

Go targets the Philippines to return to or surpass the pre-pandemic level and achieve financial stability in the first 100 days in office.

He said he will also double the number of Malasakit Centers across the country, which is now at 149 centers; build 10,000 to 20,000 new sites across the country to support the existing WiFi for All program; and the creation of departments for disaster resilience, migrant workers and overseas Filipinos, and a center for disease and control to focus on country’s surveillance capacity.

Pacquaio shares the same goal of returning to pre-pandemic economic growth by providing jobs, sustainable livelihood, and improving the health care system.

The retired boxing champ also aims to give housing to informal settlers.

Robredo said once she wins the presidential race, she will increase the support for healthcare workers, expand the hospital capacity, and make COVID-19 testing accessible to more Filipinos.

She aims to accelerate the rollout of Universal Health Care (UHC) by enlisting every Filipino in the UHC system in the first three months.

The Vice President added that her administration will allocate P216 billion for providing Filipinos their basic needs without forcing them to go to work,

While continuing the free vaccination program, stockpiling of COVID-19 medicines will also be a priority of her administration in the first 100 days in office.

Free vaccination and preparation of resources to access affordable newly developed COVID-19 pills are also the focus of Lacson in addressing the current pandemic.

He is also pushing for free testing and treatment and data-driven contact tracing to avoid wide lockdowns in the country.

But in the first days of his office, Lacson said he will sign the waiver of his rights under the bank secrecy law and encourage all his Cabinet members down to the rank and file to do the same.

He said this will signal the restoration of trust of people in their public officials.

For Moreno, he will reduce the number of undersecretaries and assistant secretaries in government agencies and will prioritize qualified career service persons in key government positions.

Although not for the first 100 days but for the first two years of his term when elected in the top position, Moreno said his administration will focus on reviving and rehabilitating the economy.PNA