Aguinaldo State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
30 June 2016

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte held his first full Cabinet meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacañang on the day of their oath of office.

In his opening statement, the President requested not to be given a special treatment during his flights. “We shouldn’t be treated differently with other suffering Filipino passengers,” he said. He added that he wants to build another airport to remedy the overcrowded skies of NAIA.

President Duterte stressed on the relevance of being prepared during disasters as he recalled his experience in Leyte when he was informed that almost 10,000 people died caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Ricardo Jalad made a brief presentation about the status of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) system in the country, from its institutionalization to the current implementation of policies, and the El Niño and La Niña ongoing mitigation plans.

Ricardo also said that the country is celebrating the National Disaster Consciousness Month this July, which will be launched by all implementing agencies.

After the presentation, the newly sworn in President expressed his plan of setting up a complaint office that will be manned by at least 10 operators and will receive calls 24/7 through hotline number 8888.

President Duterte also reiterated to simplify processing in public offices. “I do not want to see a Filipino queuing and lining up,” he said.

Furthermore, he wants a stop on online gambling and the proliferation of gambling activities in the country. He suggested that the earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) be allocated to healthcare services.

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