President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (File photo)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. carried out a packed schedule this week focused on housing, transportation, economic policy, food security, public health and school safety.
On Monday, Sept. 14, Marcos marked his 69th birthday with the annual “Salo-Salo sa Palasyo” at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang, attended by supporters and Office of the President personnel. Government agencies also held the Handog ng Pangulo Serbisyo Caravan in about 90 locations nationwide, distributing assistance worth Php 2.88 billion.
The following day, Marcos led the turnover of 333 housing units at Disiplina Village Arkong Bato in Valenzuela City. The project is part of the government’s housing program for vulnerable families, including informal settlers living in flood-prone communities.
Marcos later awarded land titles to 110 families in Caloocan City under the Community Mortgage Program, which helps low-income and homeless families acquire secure tenure over land used for housing.
On Wednesday, Marcos led the groundbreaking of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 station of the Metro Manila Subway Project in Pasay City. The 33.103-kilometer subway is designed to improve connectivity across Metro Manila and shorten travel time between Valenzuela and NAIA.
He also presided over the 11th Economy Development Council meeting in Malacañang, where officials discussed measures to sustain economic growth and cushion the potential impact of the Middle East crisis. The council approved a revised timetable for the North-South Commuter Railway, with initial partial operations targeted for December 2027.
The meeting also tackled several public-private partnership and development projects, including the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, technical and vocational education initiatives, road projects in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, the DSWD’s REFUEL food assistance program and proposed changes to DepEd guidelines on class suspensions.
On Thursday, Marcos visited Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corp. in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, where he inspected projects supported by the Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program and food technologies developed by the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
Marcos also visited Sta. Barbara Central School, where government agencies provided health and nutrition services under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program at Kalinga and the School-Based Feeding Program.
The feeding program provided meals and nutrition packs to undernourished learners and forms part of a wider effort covering hundreds of public schools in Pangasinan.
On Friday, Marcos ordered a thorough investigation into a fatal school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato, which left three students dead, including the shooter, and six others wounded. He also called for stronger measures to prevent further incidents of violence involving minors in schools.
The week’s activities highlighted several priorities of the Marcos administration, including housing security, mass transportation, economic development, food technology, nutrition and public safety.
