Duterte orders NEDA to craft new Philippine Development Plan

By Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star), October 28, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte has ordered the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to craft the country’s development plan for his term and to make sure the marginalized sectors are consulted.

The President issued the directive through Memorandum Circular 12 dated Oct. 24.

NEDA will coordinate the preparation of the Philippine Development Plan, regional development plans and investment programs for 2017 to 2022.

The plans will be jointly created by the Executive branch and Congress with the participation of the marginalized and private sector.

“All departments, offices and instrumentalities of the government, including government-owned or controlled corporations shall formulate their respective medium-term development plans and action programs,” Duterte said.

“All sectors of society, both public and private, shall be consulted to the fullest to obtain their opinions and positions on matters relayed to the plans,” the President added.

The Philippine Development Plan shall contain development goals and objectives, strategic framework to attain its targets and a results matrix with indicators that can be monitored to assess its progress.

Duterte said the plan should also be in line with the Ambisyon Natin 2040, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the administration’s zero plus ten-point socioeconomic agenda.

Number ‘zero’ in the agenda is addressing crime, illegal drugs and other security issues. The 10 items in the agenda include continuing and maintaining current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary, and trade policies; instituting progressive tax reform and a more effective tax collection, indexing taxes to inflation; increasing competitiveness and the ease of doing business; and accelerating annual infrastructure spending to account for five percent of the gross domestic product, with public-private partnerships playing a key role.

Also on the agenda are promoting rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism; ensuring security of land tenure to encourage investments, and addressing bottlenecks in land management and titling agencies; investing in human capital development, including health and education systems, and match skills and training; promoting science, technology, and the creative arts to enhance innovation and creative capacity; improving social protection programs, including the government’s conditional cash transfer program; and strengthening the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.