In his first State of the Nation address, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed to rein in soaring food prices and boost renewable energy. Photo: Aaron Favila / POOL/AFPSource: AFPPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed Monday to slash poverty, rein in soaring food prices and boost renewable energy, as he unveiled an ambitious blueprint for his six-year term. Unlike his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who used to frequently go off script in a stream of consciousness and threaten to kill people, Marcos Jr stuck to a prepared speech that was methodical and heavy on numbers. Marcos Jr, who is the son and namesake of the country's late dictator, spoke for 74 minutes without mentioning human rights, corruption or peace talks with militant groups. Marcos Jr vowed to more than halve the poverty rate to single digits by the end of his term and offer financial relief to many farmers, including forgiving debts.

Source: Daily Nation July 25, 2022 13:09 UTC