Accomplishments of Marcos during His Presidency

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 functioned 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 policies 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.

 The Story of Revolutionary

There are countless stories of heroism and bravery about Filipinos who challenged and fought against Spanish

colonial rule. Men and women such as Gabriela Silang, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and

Melchora Aquino who risked their lives to support the fight for independence. I remember learning these unbelievable

stories, so old and distant that they've become legend. But, the fight for Philippine independence is more than just a

historical event that happened over a hundred years ago.

During the Revolution of Philippines against the Colonialism of Spain, the times were of guerilla tactics of warfare

which would have led to the misery of the people living in those times as believed as to be our ancestors. The life

of the ancestors would have been in dilemma all the time and not at all in peace during the times of the revolution

of Philippines. Revolution of Philippines was revolt against the colonialism of the Spain on themselves which was

passionately revolted and won. Life during Philippine resolution was full of tyranny and oppression. The natives

were exhausted by the unethical steps their Government had taken.

Before the revolution Philippine was under Spanish rule for the past three and a half century. The revolution

started in 1896 and ended in 1898. The sole purpose of the revolution was to get free from the tyrannical rule of

Spain. The civil and military administration made the natives desperate for freedom.  

The Filipinos created a revolutionary movement called the Katipunan. The movement wanted the death and

banishment of all Spanish people and members of religious orders.  But Spain handed Philippines off to the United

States in the Treaty of Paris.

Then, began the Spanish American war which lasted for three years. About 200,000 Filipino civilians died because

of famine, epidemic diseases and violence

Question:
 Do you think there should be ever a time when certain books should be ever
banned? Why or Why not?

Answer:
For me, I think it is wrong. It is a violation of the Constitutional right to
freedom of speech. If you find something offensive, then don't read it. If a subject
is sensitive and parents agree that their children should read a particular book until
they're older, then that is okay; but, banning something --- period --- because a
few people don't like it? No, that is wrong. This isn't Germany. The written word is
something we should value and banning or burning books to keep others from
reading it isn't right.

There is no reason to ban a book. Whether to read or not to read is a choice

that should be left up to the individual. I prefer to read a number of reviews and
then decide if I want to read the particular book. I can always say no if it something
that I personally find offensive or is just something I'm not interested in.