PH economy ‘high and steady’ — 3 Cabinet members

President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet members boasted on Friday the administration’s achievements, calling the Philippine economy “high and steady” and “one of the fastest growing” among Asian countries.

“Economic growth has been high and steady,” said Ernesto Pernia, Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority, said during the forum on Economic Development and Infrastructure Cluster.

The forum is the first of three fora in preparation for Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23.

Pernia cited the 6.8 percent-increase in the Philippine economy during the first quarter of 2018, higher than the 6.7 percent recorded for the same period last year.

READ: PH economy grows 6.8% in Q1

“This makes the Philippines one of the fastest growing economies in Asia,” Pernia said.

In the same forum, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said government plans to bring down the poverty rate from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 14 percent b 2022 when Duterte’s term ends.

READ: Duterte: Economy in the doldrums

“All the efforts will be meaningless if they do not translate on lifting our people from poverty,” Dominguez said.

“The Philippine economy is on course. We are well on our way… We are clearly building on a strong momentum,” he added.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar , meanwhile, cited ongoing projects of the administration under its “Build, Build, Build” program.

READ: More roads to open in Metro Manila to ease traffic – DPWH

“The DPWH has more than 20,000 ongoing projects in various amounts [and] various needs. Some are for tourism, some are for national roads, some are for trade and industry,” Villar said.

“The President has a program that encompasses all sectors, all convergences,” he further said. /muf