SWS: 9 in 10 of Filipinos enter 2020 with hope

December 29, 2019

Nine in 10 Filipinos are entering 2020 with hope, according to a Social Weather Stations' (SWS) survey.

The 4th quarter SWS survey held from December 13 to 16 showed that 96% of Filipinos are entering the
new decade with hope, and 4% with fear.

SWS said that hope for a favorable new year matched the record high of 96% in 2017. The latest survey
result is also 4 points higher than the 92% recorded in 2018.

The respondents were asked, "Ang darating na taon ba ay inyong sasalubungin nang may pag-asa o may
pangamba?"

SWS found that hopefulness for 2020 rose in all areas except Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte's
home region.

Hope for the new year was highest in Balance Luzon at 99%, slightly higher than last year's 96%,
followed by the Visayas at 97% from 79%, Metro Manila at 96% from 94%, and Mindanao at 90% from
94%.

SWS said that hope for the new year "has always been high" and was at 87% when the pollster first
asked the question in 2000.

"It rose to 93% in 2010, and has since then been at 90s levels, reaching as high as 96% in 2017 and
2019," SWS said.

Less Filipinos with New Year's resolutions

The survey results also showed that less Filipinos – 33% made New Year's resolutions for 2020,
compared to 46% in 2017, the only other time respondents were asked if they made resolutions for the
coming year.

Among areas, the number of those who made New Year's resolutions based on the 2019 survey was
highest in Mindanao at 39%, though down by 14 points from 53% in 2017. This is followed by Balance
Luzon at 32% from 43%, Visayas at 29% from 45%, and Metro Manila at 29% from 47%.

The survey was done through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above: 300
each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The nationwide survey has a sampling error of ±3% for national figures and ±6% for the areas.

During the survey period, among the dominant issues were the Philippines hosting of the 30th Southeast
Asian Games, and the US Senate foreign relations committee approval of a resolution to bar the entry of
Philippine officials responsible for extrajudicial killings in the Philippines and the detention of Senator
Leila de Lima.

The news that also occupied Filipinos during this period was the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Davao del
Sur, and Duterte certifying as urgent a bill that on government workers' salaries increase.

Malacañang attributed Filipinos' hopefulness for the coming year to the Duterte administration's
"difficult but game-changing reforms."

Duterte optimistic on PH 2020 prospects

Philippine Daily Inquirer| January 02, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday expressed optimism that his administration’s policies and
programs would redound to the benefit of the Filipino people in 2020.

“I join the entire Filipino nation and the global community in welcoming the New Year 2020. We
celebrate this occasion with our loved ones, filled with gratitude for blessings received in the past and
with much optimism for the wonderful possibilities ahead,” he said.In his New Year’s Day message, Mr.
Duterte urged the public to take part in nation-building to sustain the country’s development.
“As this administration enters its fourth year, I am hopeful that all our policies and programs for the
improved welfare of our citizens and the continued progress of the Philippines will be realized with the
active participation of everyone,” he said.“Let us begin anew with a stronger commitment in our shared
task of nation-building and ensure that all our development efforts will be made sustainable and
inclusive,” Mr. Duterte said.

The New Year is also an opportune time to do better and aim higher, he said.

As PH welcomes 2020, Duterte admin says ‘the best is yet to come’

ABS-CBN News | January 02, 2020

The best is yet to come for the Philippines in the last two-and-a-half years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s
administration, Malacañang said Thursday as it flaunted the government’s achievements in the previous
year.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo attributed the government’s feats in 2019, such as the
improved credit rating of the country, to how the President used his political capital “wisely.”

“The Filipino people can expect the same number of significant achievements, if not more, in the
remainder of his term. And as we often say, even as most of the Filipinos are in awe of PRRD’s
accomplishments, the best is yet to come,” Panelo said in the Palace’s 2019 yearend report released
Thursday.

“The President has invested in his political capital wisely,” he said.

Among last year's achievements highlighted by the government are:

- Improved credit rating of the Philippines to BBB+

- Meeting the government’s “fighting target” for economic growth to remain on track with
President Duterte’s socioeconomic goal of lowering poverty incidence to 14 percent by 2022

- Improved Global Innovation Index ranking of the Philippines to 54th place from 73rd in 2018

- Completion of 9,845 kilometers of road, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82
evacuation centers, and 71,803 classrooms.

- Lifting 5.9 million Filipino families out of poverty

- Key laws such as the Universal Healthcare Act, Mobile Number Portability Act, the 105-Day
Expanded Maternity Leave, the Magna Carta for the Poor, the Student Fare Discount Act, the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the Sagip Saka Act, the Murang Kuryente Act, and the
National Integrated Cancer Act

- Distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to thousands of agrarian reform

beneficiaries and farmers

- Completion of the community-based drug rehabilitation program of 178,535 drug surrenderees

nationwide

- Philippine hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games

- Return of the historic Balangiga bells from the United States

- Reshipment of trash back to Canada.

Panelo said Filipinos can remain hopeful this 2020 as they have “so much” to look forward to in the
remaining years of Duterte’s presidency.

“They can cling on to such optimism as Filipinos have so much to look forward to in 2020 under the
Duterte Administration,” he said.

Duterte's term ends on June 30, 2022, around six weeks after the May 2022 general elections.
Here’s what lies ahead for the Philippines in 2020
CNN Philippines | December 31, 2019

2019 was quite a year.

We saw President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies further strengthen their grip on the country, while the
opposition seemed to have crumbled.

The economy faced highs and lows, and Philippine business had to deal with deaths of taipans and new
taxes.

The health sector had to deal with the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, while agriculture
hobbled through the year under the strain of low food supply, high prices of farm inputs, and
government policies that ended up hurting the already struggling rice farmers.

But not all was bleak. The year saw Filipino athletes cementing dynasties and making history from local
leagues to international competitions.

So what lies ahead for us in 2020?

In politics, analysts said cracks would begin to appear in the administration-aligned supermajority that
controls Congress as the country approaches closer to the 2022 presidential elections.

“It’s easy to see kasi [because] within the supermajority, there have already been factions. So the one
thing that’s holding them together is the Duterte presidency. Once there are already feelers as to who
will be running in the 2022 elections, there will definitely be hiccups,” said political science professor
Jean Franco.

Ruben Carlo Asuncion, chief economist at the Union Bank of the Philippines, said the economy would
likely enjoy smoother seas in 2020 with benign price increases minus the threat of a reenacted budget.

Other market watchers have also voiced confidence that economic activity will become briskier in 2020,
supporting above-6 percent expansion.

Globally, the key risk remains to be the prolonged trade war between the United States and China,
which Asuncion said may keep foreign investors from making any big bets until the dust settles.

Here are some other things to watch out for next year:

Any time next year

Vice President Leni Robredo still has to release her report on the drug war from her short stint as co-
chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo might decide on whether or not to enforce the ban against Philippine
officials involved in the “unlawful detention” of Senator Leila de Lima.

The International Criminal Court is eyeing to conclude its preliminary examination on the country’s war
on drugs to see if there is a need for an investigation.

Peace negotiations between the Philippine government and communist rebels may restart.

PhilHealth members will have access to more benefits, but will come with a higher price tag. An
additional 3 percent in automatic salary deductions would be imposed on contributors with a monthly
salary of ₱10,000 to ₱60,000. Thereafter, the membership rates will annually increase by 0.5 percent
until 2025.

The Department of Health is also ringing in the new year with a fresh round of vaccination drive in
response to the vaccine-derived polio outbreak in the Philippines in 2019.

First quarter of the year

New ₱5 and ₱20 coins will begin circulation.

January
First week of January

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the ₱4.1-trillion national budget within this week, his
spokesman Salvador Panelo said. This would do away with fears of another reenacted budget for a
prolonged span of time and would support the government's plan to pour more funds into
infrastructure projects. In turn, analysts expect the 6.5-7.5 percent growth goal doable for 2020.

January 1

The third and final tranche of excise tax increases on fuel takes effect. This will cumulatively raise duties
to ₱10 per liter of gasoline, ₱6 per liter for diesel, ₱5 per liter of kerosene, and ₱3 per kilogram of LPG
used for cooking. The tax is bigger for auto LPG at ₱6 per kilogram.

A pack of cigarettes will now be taxed ₱45 from ₱30 previously. This will be followed by an annual ₱5
increase until the cigarette pack sells for ₱60 by 2023. Meanwhile, a new tariff worth ₱10 every 10
milliliters of vaping liquid used for e-cigarettes will also kick in, as well as for heated tobacco products.

Revenue collections from excise taxes will help fund the Universal Healthcare Program of the country
which will be rolled out in 2020. Initially, the government needs about P257 billion to implement a new
health care system.

Martial law in Mindanao is finally lifted after two years.

January 4

Until March 31, LRT-1 passengers traveling northbound are advised to alight at the Monumento and
Balintawak stations, as the train won’t have a direct trip to Roosevelt.

Commuters heading to Roosevelt station may take the Baclaran-to-Balintawak circuit, where a special
shuttle train will pick passengers up every ten minutes. The same train will also accommodate
passengers going southbound to Balintawak.

January 7

The ceasefire between the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines ends.

January 20

Congress resumes session after a four-week break for the holidays. Among the measures that the
legislature will tackle are the bills that seek to create the departments for overseas Filipino workers and
disaster resilience. It is also expected to debate on the proposal to amend the Constitution.

February

February 6

The Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will hold its first meeting, with Governor
Benjamin Diokno signalling a looming 50-basis point cut in interest rates for 2020. ING Bank senior
economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa projects that the first reduction will be fired off here as a follow-
through to similar cuts in 2019.

March

March 13

Congress adjourns for a three-week summer break.

March 20

The Philippines in March will roll the red carpet for the 2020 ASEAN Para Games — a biennial sports
meet for athletes with physical disabilities.

The country is still seen as a strong contender for the regional contest, as local para athletes ruled the
wheelchair basketball, athletics, and swimming tournaments in the 2017 edition of the games.

March 23
The extended pilot test of motorcycle taxis ends. They would no longer be able to operate, unless the
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board decides to extend the pilot test again.

March 30

The legislative franchise of ABS-CBN expires, if it would not be renewed by Congress or if Duterte
decides to veto it.

The TV network, among the largest in the country, had 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular
employees and 3,325 talents at the end of 2018, according to its report to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Second quarter the year

Dito Telecommunity Corporation is expected to begin commercial operations.

May

The Philippine Statistics Authority will roll out its census of population and housing.

May 4

Congress returns from its three-week break.

May 11

Palawan will vote in a plebiscite whether they would agree to split the province into three — Palawan
del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.

June

June 5

Congress adjourns sine die.

June 15

The United Nations Human Rights Council begins its 44th Regular Session, where UN human rights chief
Michelle Bachelet is expected to present the results of the "comprehensive" review of the Philippines’
human rights situation.

June 30

Deadline for banks to use uniform quick response (QR) code formats for e-payments.

Old jeepneys which do not pass the road worthiness test and fail to file a petition for consolidation on or
before this date and “express their petition to modernize” will no longer be allowed to ply roads.

July

Public registration for the national ID system starts.

July 24

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan begins. Philippine athletes will take the global stage again after their
success in the Southeast Asian Games.

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo were the first two athletes to qualify for the summer
games.

How much does it cost to win an Olympic medal?

July 26
Congress resumes session after sine die adjournment. President Duterte will deliver his fifth State of the
Nation Address.

October

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is expected to step down from his post and give way to Marinduque
Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, in keeping with a term-sharing agreement brokered by Duterte.

Some lawmakers have called on Cayetano to stay as the chamber’s leader, but political analysts said this
may lead to a fracturing of the supermajority in the lower house.

“If Cayetano basically resists the idea of transferring power, transferring leadership, I think magkakaroon
ka ng problema sa [you will have a problem in the] coalition which will require President Duterte to
intervene. If he doesn’t intervene, then the next year, 2022 elections, our politics will be dominated by
that intervening conflict within the House,” said political science professor Herman Kraft.

November

November 7

The 11th Asian Swimming Championships begins. This will be the first time the country is hosting the
regional swim meet, which will be held at the aquatic facilities in New Clark City.