Pernia resignation surprises Neda in Northern Mindanao

ILIGAN CITY—-The resignation of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia has caught regional staffers of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in Northern Mindanao by surprise.

But Neda regional director Mylah Faye Cariṅo expressed confidence the sudden leadership change in the agency would not take a heavy toll on the agency’s work, describing Neda as “resilient, nimble and agile.”

As the government’s chief economist, Pernia had led Neda as its director general. He resigned last Friday (April 17) and was quickly replaced by erstwhile Finance Undersecretary Kendrick Chua, a close aide of Finance Carlos G. Dominguez III, who heads President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic team.

“Definitely we will go through an adjustment period but we have been trained to anticipate changes,” Carino said.

“So, I am confident that this transition will not be long, given that we have a great challenge before us,” Cariṅo said.

She added that the agency has also not stopped working, especially in the effort to help provide a direction to a post-pandemic recovery for the country.

Cariṅo said that at the regional level, the Neda was in the thick of laying out parameters to aid local governments on courses of action, especially balancing between quarantine and economic reopening.

She explained that the Neda has initially thought of a phased reopening of businesses in step with the reduction of the level of threat of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Cariño said it is a consolation that some strategic businesses in the region continued to operate, like those in food manufacturing, power generation and utilities.

She said emphasis should be on helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to mitigate the impact of business losses during the quarantine period.

Among these is moratorium on the payment of rents, especially those in malls and other commercial establishments that temporarily closed.

Another is deferment and extension of the deadline of payment of utilities like electricity, water and internet.

Edited by TSB