NATIONAL NEWS

Magsisilbi bilang legal consultant para kay senator Bong Go si outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte pagkatapos ng kanyang termino.

Ito’y matapos aniyang tanggapin ng Pangulo ang alok nito na gawing kanyang legal consultant.

Nabatid na nakatakdang umalis sa puwesto si Duterte sa ika- 30 ng Hunyo

Nagpasalamat si Vice President-elect Sara Duterte sa mga dumalo sa kaniyang inagurasyon.

Sa kaniyang talumpati, sinabi niya ang kahalagahan na gawing prayoridad ang Diyos, bansa at pamilya.

Ayon kay Duterte-Carpio, alam niyang maraming hamong kinakaharap ang bansa at isa na rito ang mga bagay na nakaaapekto ngayon sa mga kabataan tulad ng kahirapan, trauma sa pagkakaroon ng broken families, hindi maayos na pagpapalaki sa mga bata, gender confusion and discrimination.

Kabilang din ang mga distraksyon dahil sa ilegal na droga, mga kaso ng HIV at iba pang sexually transmitted disease, teenage pregnancies, mga maling impormasyon sa internet, pang-aabuso at iba pa.

Ipinaalala din niya ang papel ng mga magulang sa pagdidisiplina sa mga anak, respeto at pagmamalasakit sa kapwa.

Samantala, sinabi ni Duterte na laging tandaan na ang edukasyon ay nagsisimula sa loob ng tahanan.

Nabatid na pangungunahan ni VP-elect Duterte-Carpio ang Department of Education (DepEd) bilang kalihim.

Nagpaabot ng pasasalamat ang Malacañang sa mga Pilipino sa suporta’t tiwala kay Vice President-elect Sara Duterte na ganap nang nanumpa ngayong araw bilang ika-15 bise presidente ng bansa.

Ayon kay acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar, maraming mga Pilipino ang natuwa na masaksihan ang inagurasyon ni Sara Duterte.

Panawagan ni Andanar sa bawat Pilipino na patuloy na suportahan ang mga bagong halal na pinuno ng bansa sa paggawa ng mga ito ng kanilang tungkulin.

Nilinaw ng Department of Health (DOH) na wala pang surge at nananatiling nasa low risk classification ang COVID-19 sa bansa, partikular na sa NCR sa kabila ng pagtaas ng mga kaso.
Ayon kay health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, tatlong magkakasunod na araw nang mas mataas ang naitalang mga kaso ng virus.
Noong Huwebes, nasa 435 ang COVID-19 cases, 539 noong Biyernes at 585 nitong Sabado.
Lumampas na rin sa 4,000 ang mga aktibong kaso na pinakamataas mula noong May 7.
Nilinaw rin ni Vergeire na karamihan sa mga naitalang kaso ay mild hanggang moderate cases lamang ang sintomas at hindi na kailangang dalhin sa ospital.
Samantala, mas mababa pa rin sa 20% ang healthcare utilization rate sa bansa pero, sa oras na pumalo ito sa 50% ay irerekomenda na ng ahensya ang pagtaas ng COVID restrictions.

Malaki ang maitutulong ng matatag na ekonomiyang mamanahin ni President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. sa pagpapatupad ng mga plano para matugunan ang mga krisis na bubungad sa kanyang administrasyon, ayon sa ulat na nakalap ng papasok na pangulo sa kanyang Economic Team.

Kabilang sa mga hamong ito ang lalo pang mapabilis ang pagbangon ng ekonomiya mula sa COVID-19; pagsipa ng presyo ng langis at mga bilihin; mga epekto ng gyera sa Ukraine; at ang nakaambang pandaigdigang krisis sa pagkain.

Sabi ni Marcos: “Nagbibigay ng kumpyansa sa marami sa atin ang mga pahayag ng ating incoming economic managers sa pamumuno ni outgoing Bangko Sentral governor at incoming finance secretary, Benjamin Diokno, patungkol sa matibay na economic fundamentals na paghuhugutan ng lakas at kaparaanan sa pagharap sa mga suliraning ito.”

Dagdag ng papasok na pangulo: “Hindi magiging madali ang trabaho, ngunit malaking bagay na nagmumula tayo sa matibay na pundasyon.”

Bago nagdulot ng pinsala ang pandemya, lumalago ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ng anim na porsyento kada taon. Kumpyansa si Diokno na nagsimula na at patuloy na umaahon ang bansa.

Giit niya, maging ang International Monetary Fund (IMF) ay naniniwalang maganda ang economic prospects ng Pilipinas. Batay sa projection ng IMF, papalo sa 6.5-percent ang paglago ng bansa ngayong 2022 — pinakamalaki sa rehiyon.

Sa isang talumpati sa Maynila noong Hunyo 13, sinabi ni Diokno na mula Enero hanggang Marso 2022, lumago ng 8.3-percent ang ekonomiya — mas malaki kaysa Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, at Thailand.

Kasama sa mga sektor na lumago ang agrikultura, forestry,  at pangingisda na nagtala ng 0.2-percent expansion; industriya, na lumago ng 10.4-percent; at services, na lumago ng 8.6-percent.

Sa katapusan ng Abril 2022, umabot sa 106.8 billion US dollars ang gross international reserves — kabilang ang US dollar value holdings, foreign remittances, at ginto — na may katumbas na 9.4 buwang imports, samantalang tatlong buwan lang ang minimum standard na kailangang panatilihin ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Halos dalawang milyong trabaho naman ang nailikha noong Pebrero at Marso ng kasalukuyang taon na nakatulong para mapababa ang unemployment rate na pumalo sa 17.6-percent noong Abril 2020, na pinakamataas sa kasaysayan.

At kahit nakaranas ng dagok ng pandemya, agresibong muli ang manufacturing sector; pumalo sa pinakamataas sa higit apat na taon ang S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, na nasa 54.1-percent noong Mayo.

Tumaas din ang consumer at business confidence: inaasahang papalo sa 30.4-percent sa susunod na labing dalawang buwan ang consumer sentiment o kumpyansa at paggastos ng mga mamimili; inaasahan namang papalo sa 69.8-percent ang business confidence index sa kaparehong panahon.

Sa kabila ng lumobong paggastos ng gobyerno bilang bahagi ng pagtugon sa pandemya na humantong sa mas mataas na debt-to-GDP ratio, kumpyansa si Diokno na bababa ang utang sa 60.4-percent sa taong 2024 — dalawang taon sa panunungkulan ng Marcos administration.

Sa katapusan ng Marso 2022, 63.5-percent ng GDP ang pambansang utang, pero malayo naman ito anya sa ibang bansa na 100-percent o 200-percent ang porsyento ng utang sa GDP.

Bayad na rin ang ipinahiram na cash advances ng BSP sa national government sa kasagsagan ng pandemya noong 2020-2021, na umabot sa 10.3 billion US dollars. Nabayaran ito bago pa man napaso ang June 11, 2022 maturity schedule.

Sumipa naman ng 1.71 billion US dollars o walong porsyento ang foreign direct investments nitong Enero-Pebrero 2022, matapos ang makasaysayang 10.5 billion US dollars foreign direct investments noong 2021.

Ayon kay Diokno, patuloy na ma-e-engganyo ang foreign investors na mamuhunan sa Pilipinas matapos ang pagsasabatas ng kasalukuyang administrasyon sa Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investments Act, and Public Services Act.

Bukod dito, dagdag ni Diokno, bahagi ng mga repormang ipapasa ng Duterte administration sa Marcos administration ang mas magandang tax system dahil nagpatupad ng reporma sa personal income tax at corporate income tax; tatlong beses nagtaas ng buwis sa sigarilyo; nagtaas ng buwis sa langis; at sa unang pagkakataon, napatawan ng buwis ang matatamis na mga produkto.

Makatutulong din anya sa development agenda at mga programa ni President-elect Marcos ang sinimulang “Build Build Build” infrastructure program ng kasalukuyang administrasyon.

Mula 2016 hanggang 2021, pumalo sa 5-percent ng GDP ang ginastos para sa imprastraktura, mas malaki kaysa 1.5-percent mula 2001 hanggang 2009, at 2.5-percent mula 2010 hanggang 2015.

Walumpo’t walong malalaking proyekto naman ang ipapasa ng kasalukuyang administrasyon sa Marcos administration.

Matatandaang noong panahon ng kampanya, pinuri ni Marcos ang pagpapahalagang binigay ng liderato ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa infrastructure development.

Nangako si Marcos na ipagpapatuloy ito sa kanyang “Build Better More” infrastructure plan, kung saan kasama na ang digital infrastructure.

Naniniwala si President-elect Marcos na kailangang magtuloy-tuloy ang pag-arangkada ng infrastructure program ng Duterte administration, at dapat pa umano itong palakasin sa pamamagitan ng mga makabagong paraan para lalo pang gumanda ang infrastructure development at makapagdagdag ng trabaho.

Sa tala ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), umabot sa 6.5-milyong trabaho simula 2016 ang nailikha ng “Build Build Build” program.

Paniwala ni Diokno, mahalaga ang continuity o pagpapatuloy ng incoming Marcos administration sa mga programa ng outgoing Duterte administration para mapanatili at mas mapalakas pa ang pagsulong ng ekonomiya at maramdaman ng mga Pilipino ang pag-unlad.

Matatandaang nauna nang sinabi ni Diokno na balak ng Marcos administration na maibaba sa single digit na lang ang poverty incidence o bilang ng mga mahihirap sa pagtatapos ng termino ni President-elect Marcos.

The incoming administration will be facing multiple challenges when it assumes office on June 30, but strong fundamentals and bright macroeconomic prospects provide room for optimism,” according to a briefer gathered by President-elect Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. from his designated Economic Team.

“We have all heard encouraging statements from the incoming economic managers led by outgoing Bangko Sentral governor and incoming finance chief, Benjamin Diokno, that our new administration will be taking off from sound economic fundamentals,” said Marcos, referring to the briefer.

“It will not be an easy road ahead, but we are not without the necessary wherewithal and elbow room to manage the challenges,” he added.

Among challenges Marcos will have to contend with are government’s COVID-19 exit strategy, soaring oil prices, accelerating inflation rate, effects of the war in Ukraine, and a looming worldwide food crisis.

While COVID-19 stalled the Philippines’ momentum from pre-pandemic annual growth by at least 6-percent, “now we have bounced back and returned to our robust growth path,” Diokno said, in a speech in Manila on June 13.

“The International Monetary Fund shares the view about the Philippines’ favorable economic prospects vis-à-vis its peers. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF projects the Philippines to post the fastest growth in the region this year at 6.5 percent.”

Diokno explained the Philippine economy is outperforming neighbors, growing by 8.3-percent in the first quarter of 2022, exceeding Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand.

He noted broad-based expansion in the first quarter of 2022, with agriculture, forestry, and fishing growing by 0.2-percent; industry by 10.4-percent; and services by 8.6-percent.

Still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, the manufacturing sector is also performing aggressively with the S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index reaching 54.1-percent in May this year — the highest in over four years.

Consumer and business confidence are on an upswing: consumer sentiment is seen to hit 30.4-percent for the next 12 months, while business confidence index is expected to hit 69.8-percent for the same period after rising to 59.7-percent in the second quarter of 2022.

The Philippines’ foreign direct investments are “soaring,” with net inflow jumping by 8-percent to 1.71 billion US dollars in January and February 2022, after hitting a record high of 10.5 billion US dollars in 2021.

Gross international reserves (GIR) as of end-April 2022 stood at 106.8 billion US dollars, equivalent to 9.4 months’ worth of imports — 3 times more than the minimum standard of 3 months which the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has to maintain.

A country’s GIR is deemed “adequate” when it is able to finance at least 3 months’ worth of the most immediate obligations: imports of goods and debt service.

Diokno further said, “Household consumption increased by 10.1 percent, while government consumption grew by 3.6 percent; exports and imports also improved with 10.3 percent and 15.6 percent expansion, respectively.”

Employment has “significantly improved,” with 1.5 million jobs created from February to March this year, from an unprecedented 17.6-percent unemployment rate at the height of lockdowns in April 2020.

And while massive spending was necessary as part of government’s pandemic response, which resulted in higher debt-to-GDP ratio, Diokno is confident debt will go down to 60.4-percent in 2024, 2 years into the Marcos administration.

Diokno said, “It is worth emphasizing that our current level of debt-to-GDP ratio is well below the figure for other economies, some of which have debts over 100-percent or even 200-percent of their GDP.”

Philippine debt stood at 63.5-percent of GDP at the end of first quarter 2022.

As for provisional advances amounting to 10.3 billion US dollars the BSP extended to the national government at the height of the health crisis in 2020-2021, Diokno bared these have been fully paid before the maturity schedule on June 11, 2022.

Diokno also noted the Philippines will continue to attract foreign investments with the current administration’s enactment of the amended Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investments Act, and Public Services Act.

As an added boost to the reform momentum, the tax system Marcos will inherit is “much better,” according to Diokno, after the Duterte administration reformed personal income tax and corporate income tax; increased taxes on cigarettes 3 times; increased tax on petroleum products; and imposed tax for the first time on sugary products.

President-elect Marcos’ development agenda will also be backed up by a “better state of infrastructure.”

“During the last six years, the Duterte administration invested heavily in infrastructure under its ‘Build, Build, Build’ program. I call the period 2016-2021 as the Philippines’ Golden Age of Infrastructure, with infrastructure spending as percent of GDP hitting an average of 5.0 percent. In contrast, infra spending as a percent of GDP averaged 1.5 percent from 2001 to 2009 and 2.5 from 2010 to 2015.

“A total of 88 infrastructure flagship projects for completion in 2023 and beyond will be up for the next administration to continue,” Diokno said.

During the election campaign, then candidate Marcos lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for revitalizing infrastructure development, and vowed to follow through with “Build Better More” which will include digital infrastructure.

Incoming President Marcos has stressed earlier that the present momentum and gains as a result of the efforts of the current administration must be unimpeded, and should be made stronger through the adoption of more creative and innovative ways to further stimulate infrastructure development and create jobs.

Based on records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), 6.5 million jobs have been generated under “Build Build Build.”

Diokno echoed the need for continuity in governance to sustain economic gains and improve the welfare of Filipinos.

He said, “While changes come with a new set of challenges, I believe the country will significantly benefit from the policy continuity that the incoming administration is poised to observe.”

“I am confident that the transition in administration in the Philippines will pave the way for more economic gains for the Filipino people,” he added.

Diokno earlier bared President-elect Marcos and his economic team intend to reduce poverty to single digit by the end of Marcos’ term.