by Daniel Long

 

The Philippines is facing a serious crisis. Once again, the American political maxim feels relevant: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Inflation has reached 7.2%. The peso has weakened to ₱61.60 against the US dollar, with some projections suggesting it could fall to ₱63.50. Rotating brownouts, a fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel–Iran war, and a 50% decline in foreign direct investments have all combined to create a climate of deep economic uncertainty.

Against the backdrop of instability surrounding the change in Senate leadership and the impending surrender of a sitting, battle-tested general-turned-lawmaker to The Hague, I submit that ordinary Filipinos, especially those in the working and middle classes, deserve far better.

At the 47th National Conference of Employers, PCCI Vice President for Trade and Industry Bryan Ang recalled how ASEAN diplomats posed a difficult but necessary question: are we focused on the wrong headlines? His answer was just as important: “We are much more than the politics that is in the news today.”

The country needs an economic reset. Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said that the next Philippine president must have economic understanding and must be focused on nationbuilding, not politics.

This is why the prospect of a Sara Duterte presidency matters. So far, she is the only figure who has announced her candidacy for 2028.

For me, the case for her is not rooted in blind loyalty, her surname, or mere nostalgia. It is based on a record of executive leadership – what she has already done as mayor, vice president, and education secretary.

It is based on her fiscal discipline, political independence, and my belief that the country needs a stronger hand to confront corruption and criminality. Her track record far outweighs the political attacks and smear campaigns directed at her name and reputation.

Here are my 10 reasons why a Sara Duterte presidency would offer serious positive economic prospects for the Republic.

I.  Markets and Business Groups Recognize Her Capacity


When Vice President Sara Duterte announced her plans for 2028 last February, the Philippine Stock Exchange Index, or PSEi, rose shortly afterward, reflecting retail and possible investor confidence. RCBC Chief Economist Michael Ricafort reacted on Bilyonaryo News Channel, saying:

“You know, the stock market is up today, and it’s among the highest since July 25. That’s the highest in nearly 7 months.”

It is also notable that VP Sara Duterte served as keynote speaker or guest speaker at the

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Philippine Business Conference & Expo from 2022 to 2025.

The PCCI is the largest business organization in the Philippines, representing businesses, chambers, and industry groups across the country.

Entrepreneurs, investors, and executives can see through the political noise. Their continued engagement with Sara signals confidence in her leadership despite the propaganda, attacks, investigations, and even the impeachment proceedings brought against her.

II.  She Auditions for Malacañang with Unmatched Credentials

Vice President Sara Duterte is a lawyer by profession, a partner in her husband’s law office, a former Supreme Court attorney-clerk, an Army reservist officer with the rank of colonel, a former mayor of the country’s largest city by land area, the incumbent Vice President, and a former Secretary of Education.

She graduated from San Sebastian College of Law in 2005, passed the Bar on her first attempt with a general weighted average of 80, and completed the Pre-Judicature Program of the Philippine Judicial Academy for lawyers aspiring to become judges.

This matters because the chief executor of the law should understand what is legal and illegal, and should never bend the law for political persecution.

III.  Her Davao City Record Offers a Local Model of Growth

As a three-term mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022, Sara Duterte left behind a record of competent governance.

Through the Peace 911 initiative, which combined military operations with livelihood programs and much-needed infrastructure in far-flung areas previously affected by insurgency, the Armed Forces of the Philippines declared the city free from NPA terrorism and insurgency after two years.

Under her term, Davao City became the country’s 8th richest city, according to the

Commission on Audit, and the 4th most competitive highly urbanized city, according to the Department of Trade and Industry. It was also recognized by Numbeo as one of the safest and cleanest cities in Southeast Asia.

Davao City also strengthened its identity as a center for cacao and chocolate production. In 2021, during her term, Republic Act No. 11547 declared Davao City the Chocolate Capital of the Philippines.

Finally, Sara Duterte left Davao City debt-free, or with 0 utang, in 2022. Under her leadership, the city made no new loans during her three mayoral terms, while existing obligations were paid. This helped free up funds for future projects instead of leaving the city burdened by debt.

This matters economically because local governance is where national leadership is tested on a smaller scale. Sara Duterte undeniably has a strong executive portfolio and record.


IV. The Duterte Sr. Economic Record Was Strong

The early years of the Rodrigo Duterte presidency sustained strong economic performance. From 2016 to 2019, the Philippines maintained average pre-COVID GDP growth within the 6% to 7% range. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index, or PSEi, reached its all-time high of 9,078.37 in January 2018. Foreign direct investment net inflows reached a then-record

US$10.3 billion in 2017. International tourist arrivals also hit a record 8.26 million in 2019.

The “Build, Build, Build” program completed the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and the EstrellaPantaleon Bridge, both of which were grants or donations from China.

It also extended LRT-2 with the addition of the Marikina and Antipolo stations, launched the EDSA Bus Carousel, completed the PITX terminal, rehabilitated MRT-3 with more train cars and improved operating speeds, and launched major infrastructure projects such as the Metro Manila Subway and Kaliwa Dam. It also completed Skyway Stage 3, which had been started under the previous administration.

His administration also implemented the TRAIN Law, which exempted individuals earning an annual taxable income of ₱250,000 and below from paying personal income tax. This created the equivalent of a “14th-month pay” for many workers, benefited 99% of income taxpayers, and helped expand the middle class.

Rosario Manalo, then Philippine Ambassador to Sweden, France, and Belgium, and one of the country’s most accomplished career diplomats, stressed in 2017 that credit for laying the groundwork for economic growth should go to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Manalo, a lawyer, was also the first woman to pass the Philippine Foreign Service Officers’ Examinations. “The fruit of the seeds planted by President Arroyo during her term. Magaling siya, eh. Ekonomista siya, eh. She started it all,” Manalo said.

For many Filipinos like me, the Duterte years were not perfect. But when we look back, they were defined by rapid infrastructure development, tourism growth, and investor optimism before COVID-19 disrupted the country’s normal systems.

In my view, a Sara Duterte presidency would represent continuity and a return to a pro-people, growth-driven model of governance.

V. She Has Shown Fiscal Responsibility

Fiscal responsibility is central to stabilizing public finances, especially for a nation of nearly 120 million people. This is why I have serious doubts about the budget controversies being raised against Vice President Sara Duterte: her track record suggests otherwise.

As Vice President, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Sara Duterte received an unmodified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA) for fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. An “unmodified opinion” means that the financial statements are free from material misstatement and is commonly regarded as the highest audit rating a government agency can receive. In other words, a clean audit report.

During Sara Duterte’s two years as Secretary of Education, the COA also issued an unmodified opinion to the Department of Education in 2022, a historic first for the agency, and again in 2023.

The OVP’s ISO 9001:2015 certification also passed surveillance audits from 2022 to 2025. An ISO 9001 certification means an organization follows international standards for quality management systems.

Fiscal responsibility signals discipline. It helps reassure investors that public funds are being managed properly. For the economy, clean audits and quality management standards strengthen trust in government and reduce perceived risk.  

VI.  Revolutionary Education Reforms

As Secretary of Education, Sara Duterte launched the new and decongested MATATAG Curriculum for K–10, which reduced 11,000 redundant competencies to 3,664 essential ones. It also introduced “Makabansa,” a subject focused on conflict resolution, peace education, and nationalism.

She also approved the 30-day uninterrupted vacation for teachers, removed administrative tasks from teachers so they could focus on teaching, imposed a classroom decoration ban to eliminate non-essential decorations often paid for by teachers themselves, and launched the Telesafe hotline for anonymous reports of abuse. The hotline was inspired by her earlier achievement as Mayor of Davao City through the Kean Gabriel Hotline, which served the same purpose.

She also launched “Catch-Up Fridays,” weekly sessions dedicated to reading and writing to address learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns.

She utilized confidential funds as part of her effort to expand her successful “Peace 911” campaign and address serious threats, including NPA recruitment in public schools and universities, drug use among personnel and students, and sexual predators targeting learners.

Protecting millions of elementary and high school students, as well as more than a million DepEd personnel, shows that national security, education, and economic growth are deeply intertwined. DepEd is the largest bureaucracy in government.

If serious national economic development is to happen, it must begin with the molders of the mind. As former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo often said, “Education is the great equalizer.”

VII.  Direct and Practical Social Services from the OVP

The Office of the Vice President has traditionally been viewed as a constitutional spare tire, with the Vice President largely waiting in case anything untoward happens to the President. Yet under Sara Duterte, the OVP launched direct service programs that reached ordinary Filipinos despite limited resources and budget cuts. This is consistent with the oath she took in 2022: “to do justice to every man.”

These programs included Mag Negosyo Ta’Day, which provided livelihood training and seed capital for marginalized Filipinos, including women and members of the LGBT community, to help them start their own micro, small, and medium enterprises instead of remaining dependent on 4Ps and other forms of ayuda.

They also included Libreng Sakay, which provided free rides through buses equipped with WiFi and air-conditioning, serving 3 million passengers so far.

Another was the PagbaBago Campaign, which promoted environmental responsibility through tree planting. So far, the OVP has planted 1 million trees in 2025, ahead of its initial target for

2028.

These programs reflect a practical understanding of governance: people need livelihood, greater mobility, and a sustainable way of living.

In a country where poverty is experienced daily through transport costs, unstable income, dependency on ayuda, and lack of opportunity, direct social services still matter.

Sara Duterte has historically shunned dole-outs, but she has not forgotten her obligation to the vulnerable. Instead, she follows the wisdom attributed to the ancient Chinese teacher Confucius: teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

VIII.  She Has a Powerful Democratic Mandate

Vice President Sara Duterte received more than 32 million votes in 2022, the highest number ever recorded in history for a Philippine vice-presidential candidate.

That mandate is politically significant. A leader who enters office with a strong national base has more room and greater political will to make difficult decisions, to do long-term planning, and resist pressure from special interests, including flood-control contractors and communist legal fronts.

She has also consistently received strong trust, approval, and satisfaction ratings during her vice presidency, while remaining a leading choice for president in nearly all 2028 surveys.

IX.  Right About the Masterminds

On September 4, 2024, almost a year before the flood control scandal was fully exposed to the public, Vice President Sara Duterte said in an interview that the national budget was being controlled and manipulated by only two individuals: former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former House Appropriations Chairperson Zaldy Co.

Her words were direct and clear:

“Ang budget ng Pilipinas ay hawak lang ng dalawang tao. Hawak lang siya ni Cong. Zaldy Co at ni Cong. Martin Romualdez. Yan ang katotohanan.”

It was an early warning. Time is the ultimate truth-teller, and she was right all along.

The Ombudsman has since tagged the duo as “masterminds” of the flood control scam. She was among the first major national leaders to say aloud what many were afraid to confront.

For investors, a leader willing to confront national budget abuse early on – and refuse to take part in it, even by resigning when necessary – especially when it was not politically popular, signals stronger political will.

X.  One Million Percent, Hindi Maaareglo

For me, Sara Duterte is better positioned to hold those involved in flood control corruption accountable because she was not a proponent of flood control projects.

No contractor has identified her as having received kickbacks or benefiting from ghost or substandard projects. She made no budgetary insertions, and she did not sign the “most corrupt” 2025 national budget.

If Filipinos are truly angry about flood control corruption, then that anger should be directed at the people who controlled, inserted, approved, benefited from, and signed those budgets.

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco recently said that many pro-impeachment congressmen wanted Sara Duterte impeached because they believed she could not be made to compromise with them if she became president: “1 million percent, hindi maaareglo.”

That is exactly why many Filipinos, including myself, continue to support her. We see that she cannot be bought, controlled, or forced into political compromise. This quality inspires confidence, including among investors.

They see in her a strong and independent woman with fiscal discipline, executive experience, and a systematic approach to governance.

They see someone willing to confront criminality, terrorism, and corruption with firmness.

When she declared a policy of showing “no mercy” to criminals and terrorists, we understood it as a call for firm law enforcement against those who destroy communities and endanger lawabiding Filipino citizens.

The country is tired of the political drama and noise. Prices are high. The peso is weak. Electricity is expensive. Fuel prices remain unstable. Investors are anxious.

Filipinos deserve better. And in a time of crisis, that may be exactly the kind of leadership the country is looking for.

Ibalik natin ang Tapang at Malasakit para sa Diyos, para sa bayan, at para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino.

INDAY SARA DUTERTE FOR PRESIDENT 2028!

Impeachment Concerns

Atty. Michael Poa, a member of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, said:

“We only have one target: it’s not just to win, but to actually show the general public that there is no truth to the corruption allegations being thrown against our Vice President.

We’re here to protect the rights of our client. We’re here to show the evidence, to present the evidence, to test the evidence of the prosecution, and to show the Filipino people that our Vice

President is not corrupt.”

Meanwhile, Atty. Michael Yusingco, Senior Research Fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, defended Vice President Sara Duterte’s decision to pursue legal remedies before the Supreme Court amid the impeachment proceedings.

“She’s actually doing what she is entitled to do — what everyone, anyone in the country, is entitled to do — which is to go to court, seek redress, and wait for a resolution on the petition. If you really get down to it, she’s simply availing herself of legal remedies that are available to anyone in a similar situation,” Yusingco said.

Dr. JC Punongbayan, an associate professor at the UP School of Economics, has expressed concern that Sara Duterte’s impeachment by the House of Representatives “may open the floodgates for more pork barrel projects as a possible reward” to the 257 congressmen who voted in favor.

He also viewed with suspicion the fact that, just eight days after the vote, the Department of Budget and Management underwent a leadership shakeup.  

In plain English, in my opinion, the process was tainted by bribery.

For more on the impeachment issue, please read my 5,000-word article, “Why I Am Against the Impeachment of Sara Duterte – Data and Documents,” published on April 20, 2026.

   

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