Last Tuesday, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia delivered his fourth and final State of the Commonwealth address in the chamber of the House of Representatives, just two months before the June 2 primaries. For just over an hour, the island's chief executive stressed that, despite criticism, Puerto Rico's reconstruction and economic development have seen "great progress" under his administration.
Here is a summary of the figures and promises Pedro Pierluisi made during his address.
Economy: "We leave the government bankruptcy behind"
Pierluisi stressed that there are currently approximately 129,000 more jobs than in January 2021, representing a 13% increase over the past three years. He also noted that labor participation rose nearly 5% and the unemployment rate fell from 9% to 5.7% from 2021 to the present.
He also highlighted a 6.5% increase, since 2022, in goods exports from Puerto Rico.
According to the governor, these economic improvements are encouraging more young people to stay on the Island, though he offered no data to support that claim.
He also mentioned the $200 million in CDBG-DR funds awarded by the Economic Development Bank, and another $109 million allocated by the federal Treasury for the development of small and midsize businesses in Puerto Rico.
Tourism: "Growing exponentially"
The governor said that Luis Muñoz Marín airport reached record numbers, with 12 million passengers moving through the facility. This came alongside a rise in demand for accommodations, hotels and short-term rentals on the Island.
Infrastructure: "Visible" reconstruction
Pierluisi said 2,900 projects have been completed with FEMA funds, while 9,500 additional projects are under way, of which 4,432 are in the design phase. Among the projects he highlighted was the Vieques hospital, with an investment of $85 million; the completion of PR-10, whose cost exceeds $540 million; and the new ferry terminal in Ceiba, with an investment of around $40 million.
The governor stressed that the projects have been made possible by the Puerto Rican men and women who "are out in the sun making them a reality."
Social issues: "Building the culture of peace we want"
According to the governor, efforts are being made to accelerate the transition from PAN to SNAP, and he stated that they are promoting the Línea PAS of Assmca. He also said that more than $500,000 was allocated to community-based organizations to address the opioid crisis.
The Department of Health, the Department of the Family and other agencies that provide services to older adults have completed the Decennial Plan for Healthy Aging, which will be published soon, the governor added.
He also committed to allocating $5 million annually over the next five years for grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to adult day care centers.
According to Pierluisi, 2023 ended with fewer than 500 homicides, representing a 30% reduction since 2021, and he has recruited 928 police officers and 450 firefighters to improve public safety services.
Innovation: Radar VIAL
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced, while delivering the fourth State of the Commonwealth address, that this month DTOP will launch a new feature in the CESCO Digital app that will allow residents to report poor road conditions on state roads across the Island.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
