DOH chief tops Cabinet awareness and performance survey — Pulse

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the challenges that confronted the Department of Health (DOH) in 2019, Secretary Francisco Duque III posted the highest "awareness and performance" rating among Cabinet members and other officials during the first week of December.

Based on a survey of Pulse Asia on the Awareness and Performance Ratings of selected Cabinet members and other officials, Duque bagged the highest spot with a rating of 87 percent.  

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. came at second with 79 percent, followed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Benjamin Diokno in third with 78 percent and Education Secretary Leonor Briones in fourth with 75 percent.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana landed in fifth place with 73 percent, followed by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (72 percent) and Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez (71 percent).

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III came in at eighth place with 66 percent while Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista emerged in ninth place with 64 percent.

On a per agency basis for the period December 2018 to December 2019, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Education bagged the highest performance ratings with respective scores of 89 and 85 percent to land in the first and second slots.

The DOH got the third highest score of 82 percent.

Asked for comment, Duque said the DOH did its best “during the string of crises” that confronted the agency, including the measles, dengue and polio outbreaks.

He added that he also engaged with “the quadmedia on almost daily basis on the Universal Health Care law and other landmark pieces of legislation” and initiated the proposal to include 122 medicines in the second batch of the Maximum Drug Retail Prices list to bring down their prices by up to 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Malacañang shared the optimism of majority of Filipinos who are welcoming 2020 with hope as reflected in the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.  

“We Filipinos by nature are very optimistic and forward-looking and can often see the best in the most trying of circumstances, a trait that allowed us to succeed against all odds,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said yesterday.

But beyond mere optimism, Andanar pointed out that the Duterte administration is dedicated to empowering and enabling every Filipino so they would achieve their full potential and live a comfortable life through its social and economic policies and programs. 

“It also remains committed to fostering a civil society that is involved in the government’s process of addressing the people’s needs and concerns and creating local communities that take part in achieving peace and order,” he said.

He also urged the public to support the administration by working together and staying positive for the years to come.

In its fourth quarter survey taken from Dec. 13 to 16, at least 96 percent of Filipinos, aged 18 and above, said that they are entering 2020 with hope, with four percent saying they welcome it with fear.

Hope for the New Year was four points above the 92 percent in 2018 and matched the record-high level that was first achieved in 2017.

Andanar assured the public that the Duterte government would pursue its services to help improve the lives of the Filipino people in the run-up to the New Year. 

“For the incoming year 2020, the government will continue to deliver its successful programs and services, start new initiatives to further address the necessities of the citizenry and make more achievements in all aspects of governance,” he said.

In his yearend message, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief also said the government would work doubly hard in providing basic and social services to the people. 

“Trust also that the PCOO, to complement the administration’s work, will strive harder to continue to communicate these noteworthy services and programs by the government to keep the public informed and involved,” Andanar said.

Looking back at 2019, he noted the administration has achieved milestones and results that fulfilled the President’s desired legacy of a comfortable life for every Filipino. It reduced the crime rate in the country and made breakthroughs in addressing armed conflict and insurgency aside from lowering the incidence of poverty through social and health services.  

“It continues to sustain our economic growth through programs like Build, Build, Build and sound business-related policies; and it has shown good governance and political will by being tough on corruption,” he said. 

“May the coming 2020 be filled with achievements, progress and prosperity for all of us,” Andanar said. “As we face new challenges ahead let us remain steadfast in setting and achieving our goals, while keeping in mind how we can be of service to others.”     – With Christina Mendez