On water transport, he added: “In the coming years, similar electric ferry boats will be used for the Pasig River Ferry Service, from Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City, up to Escolta in Manila.”
To encourage wider adoption, the President emphasized: “We have removed all tariffs on EVs until 2028 to bring down market prices, and government has also been mandated to prioritize electric vehicles in their refleeting plans.”
He likewise stressed the economic benefits of developing a local EV industry: “This clean and green policy is two-pronged: It shall also spur growth of our domestic local industries across the EV value chain, specifically those involved in the vehicle assembly and manufacturing of batteries and related spare parts.”
Stronger buildings and disaster-resilient communities
Recognizing the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Marcos announced that construction of Ligtas Pinoy Centers will begin this year in disaster-prone areas.
He said, “Aside from the 137 evacuation centers that have been built across the country, we will begin constructing Ligtas Pinoy Centers this year.”
These facilities are designed to withstand super typhoons and major earthquakes, setting a higher benchmark for resilience.
The President emphasized that the same level of safety should apply to all structures nationwide: “All buildings in our country must be prepared and capable of remaining strong and standing against any threat posed by disasters and calamities.”
To support this objective, he called for reforms to the country’s construction regulations: “It is therefore only appropriate that we focus on and give importance to amending the National Building Code so that it conforms with modern standards.”
Modernizing solid waste management
President Marcos also proposed updating the 25-year-old Ecological Solid Waste Management Act to reflect modern waste management technologies and practices.
He said: “One systemic intervention is to update our 25-year-old Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, aligning it with modern waste management practices, such as waste-to-energy and waste treatment technology.”
The President cited the transformation of former landfill sites into productive public spaces, noting: “For example, what used to be the Carmona Sanitary Landfill of the 1990s is now the MMDA Nature Park.”
He added: “More than a multi-purpose green space, it shall soon be the base of its high-level disaster preparedness training and simulation exercises.”
Coconut planting program: Supporting sustainable building materials
The President reported that the administration has already planted 18 million coconut trees, with a target of 100 million trees by the end of his term.
“Layunin natin na sa pagtatapos ng administrasyon, makakapagtanim tayo ng isandaang milyong puno ng niyog. Gagarantiyahin nito ang tatag ng ating industriya ng niyog hanggang sa mga susunod na dekada, (By the end of this administration, our goal is to have planted 100 million coconut trees. This will ensure the resilience and long-term sustainability of our coconut industry for generations to come),” he said.
