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MBC takes note of Aquino’s silence on PPP, RH bill in SONA

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MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino’s almost hour-long State of the Nation Address mentioned a lot of things, but was conspicuously silent on the public-private partnership (PPP) program, the supposed centerpiece of his administration.

Makati Business Club executive director Peter Angelo Perfecto said that since the program was brought up at the previous SONA, the business community expected it to take prominence in this year’s speech. However, there was not even a remote mention of it.

“But I think we do understand why. Although it’s a priority project, this administration is being extra-careful of not repeating past mistakes. He mentioned the dredging project again, which could be an inference on the PPP,” he said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Perfecto was referring to President Aquino’s mention of the P18.7-billion Laguna Lake dredging project, which the government stopped, calling it an “ill-advised plan.”

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Francis Chua said the general feedback from industry on the PPP program was that “the movement has been a little slow.”

However, like Perfecto, he said this was understandable, considering the size of the projects lined up for auction and the investments required to make these investments happen.

“Hearing what the President said today, we understand why. What they’re doing now is cleaning the backyard, to see that things are in order so everything will be clean and transparent,” Chua said in a separate interview, adding that the business sector had no problems with this as it would be in line with the government’s strong anti-corruption stance.

Chua said the Aquino administration had done a good job so far in trying to curb corruption.

“We’re expecting a government that’s clean and without corruption. This is very basic for nation-building. He’s said this before and we’re seeing it going on at the same time. We’re seeing it happen,” Chua said.

Perfecto added that the government’s anti-corruption focus was something that MBC welcomed. However, the rest of the country had to think along the same lines if government were to stamp out corruption.

“There’s this mindset that we should just move on and that the President should stop being vindictive. We’re worried about that kind of mindset. It’s not really about being vindictive. How can we move on? There has to be justice on those who stole from the country. We can’t just sweep thing under the rug,” Perfecto said.

Perfecto added that it would be important that cases against those “who robbed the country blind” be filed.

The appointment of former Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as the new Ombudsman, he said, was a step in the right direction.

“We’re happy about her appointment. We look forward to the filing of stronger, more consistent cases,” Perfecto said.

While the Aquino government’s efforts to curb corruption were very commendable, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes said these were not enough to make the country more attractive to foreign investors.

“Many foreign investors are looking not just for a government that is less corrupt and displays sound macroeconomic management. They have been asking for a more welcoming investment climate that reduces their business costs and creates new investment opportunities,” Forbes said

“Making the Foreign Investment Negative List less negative would be a good start to a more level playing field for foreign equity and professionals. Keeping the status quo most likely means the Philippines will continue to receive the lowest levels of (foreign direct investments) among the Asean-6 economies,” Forbes added.

Foreign investors also continued to be apprehensive of the power situation in the country, both on the supply and price aspects. The success of the “ambitious” PPP and tourism programs, the poor development of the agribusiness and mining sectors, and the economic development of conflict-affected regions in Mindanao remain sources of concern.

Perfecto also pointed out that the reproductive health bill and policy directions on mining were absent from the President’s SONA – items that MBC expected to be included there.

But overall, both Perfecto and Chua were in agreement that the administration was still going in the right direction.

Chua said efforts to bridge the jobs-skills mismatch were commendable and should be become more aggressive in the years to come.

“We agree with the President on education, that there should be proper matching between education and industry needs. The PCCI has been trying to move with this over the past years. It’s good that the President picked it up. We’re going in the proper direction. This will help to dramatically reduce unemployment,” Chua said.

Perfecto, on the other hand, said the President was right in taking “a firm position” on the Spratlys issue.

“But this issue should be settled diplomatically, through the United Nations and the Asean. We can’t go to war with China, that’s for sure, but the message is we won’t simply surrender our claims and be bullied. The issue goes beyond us, as it concerns the other claimants as well,” he said.


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Tags: Benigno Aquino III , Business , Economy and Business and Finance , Government , Infrastructure , Investments , Makati Business Club , politics , PPP , public-private partnerships , SONA 2011

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QSBNZB3TEKHJE5A74STZTTUHC4 ed0408

    Aquino’s anti-corruption centerpiece will start grinding when Ombudsman Morales starts filing cases against corrupt officials. This will greatly minimize the 30% or other percentages “cut” and “grease money” asked by most LGU officials when companies apply for business permits. This will minimize the cost of doing business for local and foreign companies.

  • Anonymous

    The foreigners should do well not to touch mining. Our government has practically sold out or lease out, what ever you call it, all the assets of the Filipino people. In Q.C. alone, our Chinese government has privatize all government lands here at the detriment of the poor Filipinos. Instead of solving the housing problem, our Chinese dominated government embark in unloading all profitable but graft ridden government enterprise such as MRT/LRT, NFA, FTI, PCSO, PAGCOR, and others. All these assets belong to the Filipino people and the Chinese in the   government are merely the custodian. They do not have any rights to sell these properties to the Chinese business. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brando-Pascual/100002132017262 Brando Pascual

    The President did not mention anything about the RH Bill. He already blinked his eyes before the bishops of the Catholic Church. The bill if passed into law will become the best thing his government has done.  This, to me, will significantly reduce poverty of Filipinos. Why? It is a simple arithmetic. A Php 400 income of a family of 4 (2 parents + 2 children) can buy more food, clothing, etc than when it spent by a family of 7. The produce of a 2-hectare rice land tilled by a family of 4 is merely enough to feed them and send their children to high school only as it is not enough for college education. But the produce of this same size of land will never be enough to feed a family of 7.  European countries, where most of the Catholics in the world live, have laws on reproductive health or simply birth control.  And all of them are affluent. Why don’t we have this law in our country? Do the Catholic Church have a solution to the poverty of Filipinos? Nothing as in WALA!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DGL7P57NL7PTDLY5VMAPZ6XZ4U Bobby

    We had been bullied and still are with respect to our territorial claims.  Malaysia has not returned Sabah to us and despite diplomatic talks between the Philippines and China, there had been reports of Chinese incursions into our territorial zone in the West Philippine Sea.  It will take some action in the Sabah Case and removing vestiges of Chinese claim on the Spratlys (structures, boundary monuments, etc.) without counteraction from those countries.

    On not mentioning support for the RH, it is just as well.  The issue has deeply divided the nation and the atmosphere that would help this country move forward now is not division but national unity.  It is time to reexamine support for the RH Bill because clearly, legalizing use of artificial contraceptive methods when Natural Family Planning Methods are the better alternatives, would lead to what Peter Drucker so wisely observed and predicted: aggressive legislation for the use of contraceptive birth controls “creates an irreversible mentality against human births” (Management Challenges for the 21st Century).  The country needs to guard against cross currents that would enshrine themselves in legislation and destroy the moral fiber of this nation in the long run:  first, legislated use under the guise of “freedom of choice” of artificial contraceptive birth control methods (mechanical, surgical/medical, chemical) against the Natural Law; second, legislation of divorce, without taking steps to safeguard marriage and family values and the welfare of children of poor divorcees, if ever; third, legalization of same sex marriages, under the mantra that that too is “human rights” because other countries/states have made them legal; free sex and indiscriminate sexual behavior under the mistaken and extreme view of “freedom of expression” and human rights again. 

    Since the fight against corruption, as the President said, is the fight of everybody, the RH Bill should be rejected at this time at least (if morality is the issue still, better forget it totally) because it is the breeding ground for ANOTHER CORRUPTION OPPORTUNITY so craftily hidden in the very bill itself!  It asks for P3B allocation from the national budget initially and we don’t know how much increase per year would money of taxpayers (Catholics or not) would it increase, without now the say of those whose taxes would be spent to buy tons and tons of contraceptive devices, even against their consciences!  The bill opens the possibility of getting funding IN ADDITION from the Anti-poverty Commission, DSWD, DOH, PHILHEALTH, the President’s Social Fund (PCSO, PAGCOR, OWWA, etc. included ?!@#$?!), PDAF, LGU’s and the like.  Corruption must be stumped at its source, especially if ingrained in the system, in this case only to pay back the largesse of transnational contraceptive drug companies which had lobbied for congressmen and media to support the bill’s passage. These contraceptive drug merchants of death even got their wish, even if not allowed in the bill to specifically name the products they market, in the end they got away with murder by being favored tax-free forever by being favored with “essential medicines” category and thus included in the national formulary of tax free items.  In reality, our women should feel shamed; their feminity treated as a commercial item, to be treated with artificial chemicals or devices, when there is nothing wrong with it, sex is good and natural and need no fixing, unlike a disease, a deformity or a dysfunction.  For, God saw that everything He created was good.  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the saying goes.  The integrity of sex should not be done violence, a noble and creative participation of man’s in God’s continuing creation of this world.  Women owe it to the Author of their life and those of the unborn to be open to life itself and respect the natural order and natural design of sex, love, marriage and the family.  Thus, if spacing of children need be done, married couples, growing in mutual love and commitment to each other and their families may adopt one or other Natural Family Planning Method that is their preference and suited to their particular circumstances.  The State could be an active partner in disseminating proper information for the success of the adoption of Natural Family Planning Methods in the country, proven to be more inexpensive, safer and more reliable than their artificial counterparts. Proper information would also develop self and national discipline, character and important values all men recognize as important for a “well examined life.”

    Still, in addition to the “hidden agenda” of the bill, it tries to bribe congressmen to pass the bill unopposed as much as possible by providing for a MOBILE SERVICE UNIT per congressional disctrict which, again would be funded by public funds in its operation, administration (including staff’s salaries) and maintenance.  It will compel hospitals of government to set up a clinic for vasectomy, tubal ligation, IUD insertions, giving out of free condoms, etc. and local government units to pay the compensation of “volunteer” community workers.  If instead of engaging in these devious aggressive contraception practices, the campaign should be channeled to the more acceptable and moral “NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS, the government can save a billions of money that can be productively put somewhere else to alleviate the plight of the poor (shelter, food, clothing, education for children), stop corruption in the system at least partially, develop a national identity based on cherished cultural values, and provide an atmosphere of unity and clarion call to improve the quality of life, national productivity, skills training where needed, employment and livelihood, decent shelter, tourism growth and investments.       

  • Anonymous

    oo nga bakit walang rh? paano uunlad kung di naman kayang pagkasyahin sa 100M na populasyon ang resources ng bansa. ay oo nga pala, overpopulation is a myth nga pala.
    tama din naman talaga ang anti corruption muna kasi kung 60% nga ng budget ay ninanakaw lang e it makes sense na priority yan. and you can’t freally deter corruption kung di mo nakitang makasuhan at (sana) makulong ang mga kurakot.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_R4OSVKWPJVREZ5NR6LAVC74HGU Sharon Gomez

    hypocrites! bakit hindi ninyo linisin ang inyong hanay sa mga nag cocorupt na mga negosyante sa mga kawani ng pamahalaan?  alam ng mga negosyante na mali ang kalakalan bakit natutuloy pa rin gaya ng pagbili ng mga sy sa transco at ngcp? unahin ninyo muna ipakulong ang mga negosyanteng kasama sa pangungurakot. bakit may mga representaion allowance ang mga ahente ? di ba para macorrupt ang nasa gobyerno/ magpaka totoo tayo.

  • Fred Santos

    The most important issue that Pnoy need to discuss is how to give employment and livelihood to our people with decent wages and earnings. He need to take care of this first before running after those former officials who squandered the people’s money. It will take a long battle in our biased court to get those money back or even put those people to jail. Remember the case of the Marcos family, who after 25 years, the country didn’t get anything from them? and now they are one of the leaders again.
    What the country need is livelihood, earnings and money making business in small, medium and large scale industry. Food production must be improved, our farmers need modern machines, Farm implements, Tractors, modern agricultural technology and support from the Government. They need to have those equipments at the lowest possible costs imported from abroad without taxes and loan to them with very low interests. This could create abundance of food for local consumption and there will be excess for export that could bring in the dollars. Our production needs to be geared up on all items, and it could only be done with modern machines, tools, equipments, technology, electronics that can be imported from abroad again without taxes and loaned to people at very low interests. That should be the step of the Government, properly equip our people with production needs to make quality products in massive quantities that we can use for local consumption and exports. We need to work on exporting products that can bring in foreign money and improve our economy. The locals doesn’t have the capital to start anything due to their condition so they need the Government to lend them those capital in terms of these modern machines that they would be able to produce any product that is competitive with products made abroad in prices, quality and quantity. We should ask support from foreign countries in terms of machineries, equipments, tools and modern electronics. Not in money or food, we need to know how to fish ourselves using modern tools and equipments.
    Government doesn’t need to worry about the loss of tax money on these machines, it will be reciprocated doubly or thrice when they started exporting products abroad. Anyway, it’s only the customs people who are really making money on all our importations. The country’s economy will improve only if our exports are greater than our imports, so we need to be self sufficient for all our needs and have more for exports. After doing this, the Government needs to improve the rail system from Luzon to Mindanao to bring down transport costs of all goods, then Power must be improved and enhanced to cope up with the future demands.
    Another way is to make the country be “Duty Free” like Hongkong and Singapore. This will entice foreign money and Philippines will be the shopping capital of the world that could beat Hongkong because we have better people, better accommodations, more tourist spots and nice places with english speaking people, charming and hospitable. This will create employment in millions, and all our Hotels, restaurants, malls, service businesses, countryside, beaches, farms, and transport business will grow by leaps and bounds. All problems can be taken cared of once the Government has the money, roads, bridges, communications, power, shipping, ports, airlines will be greatly improved because of the demand and the money flowing in.
    We need modern industrialization not fighting each other who is the biggest crook of all times and trying to blame each other for past and present mistakes. The Government needs to act for the future of our fellow countrymen, and make this nation proud, succesful, rich, respected and feared.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HCAD7TIXQFPDBVAMGWWDQVPQ4Y John Wayne

    Let me get this straight. The wangwang issue is more important than the PPP or the RH bills? Perfecto and Chua, your tails and heads should be cut off. You have no balls backing up your criticism, despite the fact that you both knew that they are what should have been included. And don’t forget about the Agrarian reform that affects the chokehold of the Cojuangcos and Aquinos. Stamping out corruption is number priority, if Aquino wants to succeed. But, devoting more than half of his time on pursuing his passion to go after Arroyo and company, is a shame. The courts should deal with them. Let the gov’t. lawyers take care of them. When Aquino can show and brag of improvements in the pinoys lives, it should be easier for him to rally behind him all forces to go after those that looted the gov’t. coffers. Right now, this running after the looters is just a show to prop his sagging images and incompetence. Aquino must take out those hooligans in his cabinets and officials first, before he can claim to be going after the same type of hooligans, thieves and power brokers in his inner circle.



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