PAGPASA NG MGA PANUKALANG MAGPAPATULOY SA PAGLAGO NG EKONOMIYA, IPINANGANGAKO NI SPEAKER ROMUALDEZ

Tiniyak ngayong araw ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez ang mga dayuhang mamumuhunan at mga multilateral lenders, na ipagpapatuloy ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ang pagpapasa ng mga panukala na magsusustini sa paglago ng malusog na ekonomiya ng bansa.

Malugod niya ring tinanggap ang magandang balita sa nakakahikayat na pahayag ni Standard Chartered Bank Global Head of Public Sector and Development Organizations Karby Leggett, ang World Bank Country Director sa Pilipinas, Malaysia, Thailand, at Brunei Ndiamé Diop, at International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Director, Asia, at Pacific Department Sanjaya Panth sa presentasyon ng economic team ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa pangunguna ni Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno sa kalagayan ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.

“We are committed to passing more measures that the Marcos administration may need to further enhance investment in the Philippines aimed at improving the lives of Filipinos. I urge foreign investors to stay the course with us and share the benefits of progress and development,” ani Speaker Romualdez.

Sa isinagawang briefing na idinaos sa Fairmont sa Washington D.C. Miyerkules, (oras sa Estados Unidos), ay binanggit ng mga opisyal ng Standard Chartered Bank, WB, at IMF ang malakas at matatag na ekonomiya ng Pilipinas, sa kabila ng mga pandaigdigang hamon at pagsubok, kabilang na ang inflation at pandemyang dulot ng COVID-19.

Sinabi ni Speaker Romualdez na ang okasyon ay bahagi ng whole-of-government approach ng administrasyong Marcos, upang makahikayat ng mas maraming dayuhang pamuhunan na makakalikha ng malaking kita at oportunidad sa trabaho para sa mga Pilipino. 

“I commend members of the economic team for this briefing. The United States is a major source of investments and funding assistance. The World Bank and IMF are likewise principal development funders,” aniya.

Pinasalamatan niya ang World Bank at IMF at iba pang malalaking multinational banks sa kanilang pagtulong na maorganisa ang kumperensya, na pangalawang idinaos sa Washington DC at pangatlo na sa Estados Unidos.

Ilan pa sa mga dumalong opisyal mula sa Pilipinas ay pinangunahan ni Ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez.

Ang mga miyembro ng economic team na nagbigay ng briefing sa mga multilateral agencies, mga bangko, at mga inaasahang mamumuhunan ay sina Diokno, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Felipe M. Medalla, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, at National Economic and Development Authority Sec. Arsenio Balisacan.

Sa kanyang pahayag, sinabi ni Diokno na ang 2022-2028 Medium Term Fiscal Framework, na ipinasa ng Kapulungan matapos na magsimula ang sesyon noong Hulyo nang nakaraang taon, “serves as a compass to steer the economy closely along the patch of fiscal sustainability and economic growth.”

“The targets and measures under this framework are firmly supported not only by the President but also by both houses of Congress,” aniya.

Binanggit niya ang mga panukalang economic liberalization na inaprubahan kamakailan ng Kapulungan, upang humikayat ng mas maraming dayuhang pamuhunan tulad ng inamyendahang Public Service Act, Foreign Investments Act, at Retail Trade Liberalization Act.

Noong nakaraang taon, sinabi ni Diokno na nagtala ang ekonomiya ng “a 46-year record-high growth rate of 7.6 percent.”

“This was higher than our full-year target of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent and exceeded forecasts of local private sector analysts and international financial institutions, placing the Philippines among the best-performing economies in the Asia-Pacific region,” aniya.

Kanyang sinabi na ang target sa paglago ngayong taon ay 6 na porsyento hanggang 7 porsyento.

“And while slightly lower in recognition of the expected global slowdown, this target remains high but doable,” dagdag pa niya.

Ipinunto ng pinuno ng pinansya na sa fiscal performance ng pamahalaan na nananatiling matatag, sa 2022 revenue collections na umabot sa P3.5-trilyon, o US65 bilyon, ay 18 porsyentong mas mataas sa antas ng 2021.

“The Philippines’ impressive economic performance is the result of years of interconnected structural reforms. Now, we are unfurling our sails to journal towards shared and sustainable economic prosperity, and our investments will be the wind driving this forward,” giit pa niya.

Sinabi ni Pangandaman sa mga multilateral lender-funders at mga potensyal na mamumuhunan na ang prayoridad ng pamahalaan at mga paggasta ay nakalinya sa plano sa medium-term development plan, at sa 8-point socio-economic agenda ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Aniya, ang malaking bahagi ng badyet, na halos 38.1 porsyento – ay inilaan sa sektor ng social services “to ensure revitalized education, quality healthcare, and strengthened social protection.”

Malaking bahagi ng outlay ay inilaan rin sa pisikal, sosyal, at imprastrakturang digital, ayon pa sa kanya.

“Here’s the good news: as of last month, the national government has identified 194 high-impact and urgently-needed infrastructure flagship projects. These will be given top priority during the annual preparation of our government’s budget,” aniya.

Idinagdag pa niya na ang paggasta sa pisikal na imprastraktura ay “aimed at improving

physical connectivity throughout the country through the construction of accessible road networks, railways, buildings, and flood control infrastructure, among others.”

Binanggit ni Pangandaman ang mga gusali ng paaralan, mga ospital, mga health center,

water supply systems, at mga pasilidad sa pabahay bilang ilan sa mga proyektong social infrastructure ng pamahalaan.

Ipinunto niya rin na sa social infrastructure, P24.13-bilyon, o US434.3-milyon ang itinabi para “to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.”

“America is an age-old friend of the Philippines. We hope to strengthen this friendship even more as we continue to nurture our robust people-to-people ties, invigorate our dynamic bilateral relations and pursue economic transformation,” aniya.

Para kay Balisacan, sinabi niya na ang layon ng pamahalaan na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang taunang paggasta sa imprastraktura sa 5 porsyento hanggang 6 na porsyento ng gross domestic product mula 2023 hanggang 2028, o sa pagitan ng US20-bilyon at US40-bilyon kada taon.

Sinabi niya na ang kabuuang 3,770 proyektong imprastraktura na nangangailangan ng pondo na US317.5-bilyon ay tinukoy, na popondohan ng parehong lokal, at puhunan at ayuda mula sa pribadong sektor at mga partner sa kaunlaran.

“Indeed, the Marcos administration has aggressively pursued several initiatives to encourage greater local and foreign investment and private sector participation in infrastructure development…we welcome and urge the investor community to consider placing its resources in the country’s flagship infrastructure projects,” aniya. #

Speaker Romualdez vows passage of measures to sustain economic growth

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today assured foreign investors and multilateral lenders that the House of Representatives would

continue to pass measures to sustain the country’s robust economic

performance.

He also welcomed as good news the encouraging remarks made by Standard

Chartered Bank Global Head of Public Sector and Development

Organizations Karby Leggett, World Bank Country Director for

Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei Ndiamé Diop, and

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Director, Asia, and Pacific

Department Sanjaya Panth during the presentation of President

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s economic team led by Finance Sec.

Benjamin Diokno on the state of the Philippine economy.

“We are committed to passing more measures that the Marcos

administration may need to further enhance investment in the

Philippines aimed at improving the lives of Filipinos. I urge foreign

investors to stay the course with us and share the benefits of

progress and development,” Speaker Romualdez said.

During the briefing held at Fairmont in Washington D.C. Wednesday

(United States time), Standard Chartered Bank, WB, and IMF officials

cited the continued strong and resilient Philippine economy despite

global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.

Speaker Romualdez said the event was part of the Marcos

administration’s whole-of-government approach to attracting more

foreign investments that would create more income and job

opportunities for Filipinos.

“I commend members of the economic team for this briefing. The United

States is a major source of investments and funding assistance. The

World Bank and IMF are likewise principal development funders,” he

said.

He thanked the World Bank and IMF and several big multinational banks

for helping organize the conference, the second held in Washington DC

and the third in the US.

Other Philippine officials led by Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel

Romualdez attended the event.

Members of the economic team who briefed the multilateral agencies,

banks, and prospective investors were Diokno, Bangko Sentral ng

Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Felipe M. Medalla, Budget Secretary Amenah

Pangandaman, and National Economic and Development Authority Sec. Arsenio Balisacan.

In his remarks, Diokno said the 2022-2028 Medium Term Fiscal

Framework, which Congress passed shortly after it convened in July

last year, “serves as a compass to steer the economy closely along the

patch of fiscal sustainability and economic growth.”

“The targets and measures under this framework are firmly supported

not only by the President but also by both houses of Congress,” he

said.

He cited economic liberalization measures Congress recently approved

to attract more foreign investments, such as the amended Public

Service Act, Foreign Investments Act, and Retail Trade Liberalization

Act.

Last year, Diokno said the economy posted “a 46-year record-high

growth rate of 7.6 percent.”

“This was higher than our full-year target of 6.5 percent to 7.5

percent and exceeded forecasts of local private sector analysts and

international financial institutions, placing the Philippines among

the best-performing economies in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

He said the growth target this year is 6 percent to 7 percent.

“And while slightly lower in recognition of the expected global

slowdown, this target remains high but doable,” he added.

The finance chief pointed out that the government’s fiscal performance

remains strong, with 2022 revenue collections reaching P3.5 trillion

or about US65 billion, 18 percent higher than the 2021 level.

“The Philippines’ impressive economic performance is the result of

years of interconnected structural reforms. Now, we are unfurling our

sails to journal towards shared and sustainable economic prosperity,

and our investments will be the wind driving this forward,” he

stressed.

Pangandaman told the multilateral lender-funders and potential

investors that the government’s priorities and expenditures are

aligned with the medium-term development plan and the 8-point

socio-economic agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

She said the bulk of the budget - roughly 38.1 percent - has been

allotted to the social services sector “to ensure revitalized

education, quality healthcare, and strengthened social protection.”

A sizable part of the outlay was also allocated for physical, social,

and digital infrastructure, she said.

“Here’s the good news: as of last month, the national government has

identified 194 high-impact and urgently-needed infrastructure flagship

projects. These will be given top priority during the annual

preparation of our government’s budget,” he said.

She added that physical infrastructure spending is “aimed at improving

physical connectivity throughout the country through the construction

of accessible road networks, railways, buildings, and flood control

infrastructure, among others.”

Pangandaman mentioned school buildings, hospitals, health centers,

water supply systems, and housing facilities as among the

administration’s social infrastructure projects.

She pointed out that for social infrastructure, P24.13 billion or

US434.3 million has been set aside “to accelerate the country’s

digital transformation.”

“America is an age-old friend of the Philippines. We hope to

strengthen this friendship even more as we continue to nurture our

robust people-to-people ties, invigorate our dynamic bilateral

relations and pursue economic transformation,” she said.

For his part, Balisacan said the government aims to sustain its annual

infrastructure spending at 5 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic

product from 2023 through 2028, or between US20 billion and US40

billion a year.

He said a total of 3,770 infrastructure projects with a funding

requirement of US317.5 billion had been identified, to be financed

through both local resources and investments and assistance from the

private sector and development partners.

“Indeed, the Marcos administration has aggressively pursued several

initiatives to encourage greater local and foreign investment and

private sector participation in infrastructure development…we welcome and urge the investor community to consider placing its resources in the country’s flagship infrastructure projects,” he said. (END) wantta join us? sure, manure...