Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte wants nothing more than for the Philippines to sustain its post-pandemic momentum under the Marcos administration in 2024. 

Villafuerte, majority leader of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), bared this wish for the country on Sunday, Dec. 31 as Filipinos greeted the new year. 

Villafuerte says his wish for the country is “to sustain in 2024 and onwards the strong post-pandemic recovery of our economy in less than a year-and-a-half of the Marcos presidency". 

“Against all odds, our economy has grown into one of the strongest-performing economies in the Asia-Pacific region, resulting from  the bold and decisive policies and initiatives that our President has pursued to strengthen investor confidence, enhance international relations, modernize our agriculture, sustain infrastructure modernization, create jobs and improve living standards, among others,” he said.  

President Marcos won the presidency in May 2022, when the effects of the Covid-19 were still very evident in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has since lifted its state of Covid emergency. 

“It is my wish that our economy remains on its upward trajectory on the Marcos watch because this alone will let our people reap the fruits of the President's vision of inclusive high growth for all Filipinos in our country where better lives await all and nobody will be left behind in our march to lasting peace and continued prosperity,” the Bicol solon said. 

National Unity of the Philippines (NUP) president Villafuerte sees a better year for the country in 2024 as the socio-economic reform agenda of President Marcos starts taking bigger strides toward much higher public spending on infrastructure, social protection and other priority programs that spell more jobs and greater financial succor especially for poor and other underprivileged Filipinos. 

This is evident with the way the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 has been crafted. The spending plan--the biggest in the country’s history--was signed into law by President Marcos last Dec. 20. 

“I am looking forward to a fine year ahead for our people in 2024 on the back of expected bigger strides by President Marcos a year-and-a-half into office in his socio-economic reform agenda of ensuring better lives for Filipinos and a prosperous and peaceful Philippines on his watch,” Villafuerte said. 

The veteran lawmaker noted that P500 billion—or nearly a tenth of the 2024 national budge—has been set aside for a myriad of "ayuda" or financial aid for the poor and other disadvantaged Filipinos. 

He says this is a “testament that Mr. Marcos is gaining headway in his commitment to accelerate poverty reduction and leave no Filipino behind in his administration’s quest for a prosperous and peaceful nation”.