Aquino emphasized that to spear inclusive growth, the government needs to maximize opportunities for all, especially the needy. He cited that the percentage rate of employment for TESDA-DOLE scholars is now as high as 70.9 percent in IT-related jobs and 85 percent in electronics and semiconductors.
Aquino urged Filipinos to continue pursuing the righteous path (Daang Matuwid). In any situation in life, people should opt for the fair choice and do things correctly, he said.
Aquino tackled in his speech the following key issues and aims to be pursued in the next half of his term:
[edit] Accomplishments * Passage of the following bills: Sin Tax Bill and Responsible Parenthood Law * Public-private partnership projects: utilization of Laguindingan Airport; modernization of Tacloban Airport, Bicol International Airport, the new Bohol Airport, Mactan Airport, Puerto Princesa Airport; and the Daang Hari-NLEX link road * “Best Tourism Destination of 2012”: The Philippines was declared the “Best Tourism Destination of 2012” by the Oriental Morning Post, “Most Romantic Destination of 2012” by the Shanghai Morning Post, “Best Diving Destination” by the Scuba Diving Magazine, and Palawan as the “Best Island” by the Travel+Leisure Magazine. * Dividends from Government-Owned Corporations (GOCs): examples are the Philippine Reclamation Authority's (PRA) dividends, which amounted to a sum total of P676.82 million from 1996 to 2009 and P1 billion in 2012, and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) gain of P2 billion profit * Resurgence of Philippine economy: two consecutive ten-place jumps in the global competitiveness