JUNE 24, 2016

NR # 4241B

Belmonte: Duterte Economic Program Bold and Daring, Congress

should ensure funding in 2017 budget
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. today said now that the 10-point economic agenda
of the Duterte administration has been laid down, Congress should ensure the appropriate
funding will be provided for each program in the 2017 national budget for its successful
implementation.
Belmonte, characterized the economic program of incoming President Rodrigo
Duterte as bold and daring by prioritizing greater social inclusiveness in development and
for building social cohesion into any growth strategy.
The Duterte economic plan laid out at the Davao Business Summit clearly pivots
the budget towards the agriculture sector where the majority of the poorest Filipinos are.
By adopting the regional growth center approach the Duterte Administration further
ensures that the poorest provinces will be first in line. Then the plan seeks to revive the
manufacturing sector because that is where decent jobs with decent wages can be
generated as opposed to precarious, subsistence salaries in the service sector. It is an
empowering vision for our people, bold in taking on the harder path of building prosperity
with the poor, and daring in pushing greater equality in our society, said Speaker
Belmonte.
It is not only our responsibility in Congress to look into each item of the detailed
economic program, but also to ensure the necessary funding will be available to fully
implement the agenda for the welfare of the people and the nation, said Belmonte.
Relative to this, Belmonte said he supports incoming Budget and Management
Secretary Benjamin Dioknos plan to submit the proposed 2017 national budget in two to
three weeks after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte.
I think its a reasonable schedule since the incoming administration is just starting
and needs time to study well every item in next years General Appropriations Bill for
proper justification before the House committee on appropriations. On the part of House,
we can adjust the hearings of the appropriations committee so there will be no delay in the
approval of the budget and avoid a reenacted national budget next year, said Belmonte.
For now, Belmonte said he welcomes the presentation of the economic program of
incoming President Rodrigo Duterte especially since it prioritizes greater social
inclusiveness in development and for building social cohesion into any growth strategy.
(30) maprs