Choose the people: MUP paychecks hiked

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed December with optimism, pledging more decisive action against those behind the flood control anomalies, improved inter-island travel, and enhanced support for the armed forces.

Addressing graduates of the Major Services Officer Candidate Course, Marcos urged the new officers to resist corruption and disloyalty, emphasizing that their integrity will be tested. “Always choose what is right. Choose the people. Choose honesty and peace,” he stressed.

To bolster morale and head off potential unrest in the ranks amid economic pressures, Marcos approved a significant basic pay increase for all military and uniformed personnel (MUP). The salary hike will be implemented in three tranches starting January 2026.

01 December

 ‘Choose the right thing’

 In his message to the graduates of the Major Services Officer Candidate Course, Marcos urged the new military officers to choose the right course amid the temptations of corruption and disloyalty.

“There will be moments when your integrity will be tested. Corruption and dishonesty can manifest in many forms,” he said. “So always choose what is right. Choose the people. Choose honesty and peace.”

He emphasized the battles they will face in an ever-changing world, particularly political ones.

The President assured the full support of the government in advancing the capabilities of the armed forces and investing in military assets such as radar systems, ships, aircraft, and facilities that will strengthen deterrence and improve disaster response.

Revisit disability discharge policy

For the President, a disability is not the end of the service of the men and women who have served the nation and been injured in the process.

Marcos cited the case of Army Capt. Jerome Jacuba who became blind after being hit by an explosive device. Jacuba was given a Complete Disability Discharge (CDD), which ended his career in the armed forces.

The President said a CDD didn’t seem right for someone who risked his life in defending the country and appeared to have been brushed aside.

He instructed AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and the Department of Defense to suspend Jacuba’s CDD. He recommended his promotion to the rank of major for his bravery and service to the nation.

“Let’s find different positions,” the President suggested, to allow disabled personnel to continue to serve, noting that there are primary adaptive duties where their insights and experience can be of use.

02 December

 New OFW lounge opened

President Marcos gave overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) an early Christmas gift with the opening of the new OFW Lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos attended on his behalf, accompanied by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, and New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) chairman and CEO Ramon Ang.

The lounge provides OFWs with a more spacious and comfortable area at the airport equipped with enhanced services, including complimentary food and beverages, comfortable resting areas, charging stations, and secure baggage storage rooms.

03 December

 Galing Pook awardees recognized

President Marcos recognized 10 barangays that have excelled in implementing programs that benefit their constituents.

He said programs at the barangay level are not easy to implement, as leaders face limitations such as funding, manpower, and other community needs. 

Each awardee received a Galing Pook Marker and a P300,000 cash prize from the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Local Government Academy. 

Marcos emphasized the “freshness” of the ideas coming from the barangay level. He also noted that even if local chiefs have different projects, the message and purpose remain the same: “If we help people who are in need, it presents a good change.”

MUPs’ basic pay increased

To honor the sacrifices of military and uniformed personnel (MUP), Mr. Marcos approved an increase in their basic pay, which will be implemented in three tranches beginning January 2026.

The MUPs include all military and uniformed personnel from the Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Corrections, and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.

Marcos also emphasized the increase in the P350 subsistence allowance for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

“This administration believes that those who defend the nation deserve to be protected by the government,” he said.  “Fair wages and adequate support, this is the people’s offering to our defenders.” 

04 December

 Public will recover from scandal

 Despite public criticism, Mr. Marcos is confident his administration knows how to recover from the flood control scandal.

He admitted that the flood control mess was “disruptive,” causing difficulties for the country and the people.

“Between myself and those who are helping me and advising me, I think we know how,” he said.

“So it’s not as if we are lost, and we do not know what we are going to do. We know what we are going to do. And we will continue this campaign on corruption. We will continue our campaign on this abuse and this entitlement that has shocked everyone, myself included,” he added.

Media tapped vs fake news

For Mr. Marcos, fake news is a “one big problem” that needs to be addressed not just by the government, but with help from the media.

He stressed that rampant disinformation has taken up too much space, confusing and further misinforming the public. 

“It is important that the people know what is happening. That the people are not led into this crazy mind game that people have been playing without any connection to reality. That is what I think we all have to work on together,” he said.

New bridge cuts travel time

The President inspected the newly built 1.3-kilometer Bucana Bridge in Davao City, which is connected to the bypass roads within the city.

With its completion, Marcos said that starting 15 December, the estimated travel time in the area will be reduced from two hours to 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, the connected bypass roads will be finished by December 2027.

He noted that the bridge is one of the four major legacy projects the government is building in the city.

05 December

 Police, DILG alerted for possible arrest

As the flood control mess continues to unravel, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police were directed by the President to be on the lookout for Sarah Discaya and personnel of St. Timothy Construction in case warrants of arrest are issued against them.

Mr. Marcos said recent findings of the Office of the Ombudsman based on the complaints from the Department of Public Works and Highways, confirmed a ghost project in Culaman, Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental.

Apart from Discaya, several DPWH officials were identified in the case buildup and accused of acting with manifest partiality, bad faith, and gross negligence, causing undue injury to the government and providing unwarranted benefits to the contractor.