As senators deliberate on the P5.268 trillion proposed national budget, Stratbase president and Democracy Watch Philippines lead convenor Professor Dindo Manhit calls on lawmakers to make sure that the budget will prioritize and serve ordinary people.
The call comes after at least P9.3 billion in confidential and intelligence funds was allocated for non-security-related government agencies in the 2023 national budget.
“At the end of the day, ordinary citizens are actually the main drivers of development, but they need to be given the opportunity. We need to turn these citizens into productive members of society. They earn. They have income. They have livelihood. They consume. That’s what drives economy,” Manhit explained.
He said the previous government left fiscal challenges that the current administration need to address.
He also noted that the best way to outgrow the country’s current economic crisis is by investing on and prioritizing the Filipino people.
“We need to provide them with the opportunity. How? Do they have enough skills? The education system will always be very important.
What about post-secondary skills development? Or even tertiary education? Or are they healthy enough to be productive? Those are the 2 drivers of productivity of our people,” Manhit said.
He pointed out however, that the government alone cannot provide all the opportunities for the Filipino people.
He then urged the Marcos Jr. administration to engage and partner with the private sector.
“It’s good to have them, to listen to them, to engage with them, instead of vilifying them because that’s what former President Duterte did. There is always this perception that the Philippines is controlled by oligarchs or protectionist. But our experience in the Stratbase group is that, as you engage more with big business and conglomerates, they are actually the top taxpayers. They are the top job creators and a strong source of investment across the country. Private companies should be seen as a key partner of government,” he stressed.
Manhit also emphasized the importance of how the government can create an investment environment for jobs to be created.
“Imagine if we give enough incentives to the manufacturing sector.
Imagine if we really generate more tourism. Imagine if we continue to play a role and strengthen the business process outsourcing or the KPO, knowledge process outsourcing, as one of our exports — imagine 109 million Filipinos, who are productive, working, earning towards that end. That’s a big consumer base. If this group of people will spend because there’s enough livelihood, not much indebtedness, then you can see a more sustained growth. Consumption economy, which is what drives us, can only be sustained, I believe, from an investment-led growth trajectory, not jobless growth,” he explained.
The Stratbase Group will gather key government officials, business leaders, experts from the academe, and the civil society in a two-day conference on November 21 and 22, 2022 entitled Pilipinas Conference 2022: Onward to New Beginnings: Sustaining and Improving Philippine Development.
Key government leaders including Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Finance Undersecretary for Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group Maria Cielo Magno, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, delegation of the European Union Ambassador Luc Veron are among the invited speakers of the event.
Also expected to attend are key officials from the biggest business groups and corporations in the country, along with diplomatic officials.
“Pilipinas Conference will serve as a platform for the Philippine government’s economic managers, business groups, and industry thought leaders to share their insights on how meaningful partnerships between the new government and the private sector can promote inclusive growth and sustainable development in the years to come,” Manhit said.
