Robredo bares economic priorities under her presidency

Vice President Leni Robredo (Photo by Charlie Villegas / OVP)

A level playing field to do business, a predictable regulatory regime, public-private partnership (PPP) in critical infrastructure areas, increased health-care capacity, a road map to lower electricity costs and make the transition to renewable energy—these are some of the economic priorities that Filipinos can expect under a Robredo presidency.

Vice President Leni Robredo offered a glimpse on how doing business will be if she would be elected as the next CEO of the land in a forum organized by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) on Friday.

She also committed to remove the roadblocks to economic growth, adding that she was open to amendments to the Constitution for as long as these would be open, transparent and participative.

Robredo also vowed to prioritize health-care capacity improvement and potential reforms to lower the cost of electricity even as the country works toward the shift to clean and renewable energy.

When it comes to potential joint exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea, she said any deal must be premised on the recognition of the Philippines’ arbitral win at the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Our foreign policy will always put the interests of our country and our people first,” Robredo said. “We will make sure that our relationship with China or any other country will be based on mutual trust and respect and recognition of international laws.”

Robredo said she would most definitely prioritize PPP, with infrastructure building to focus on three priority areas: (1) water resources management; (2) public transport and rural development; and (3) reconstruction of public infrastructure and housing projects in calamity-stricken areas.

“I am for responsible mining. We must ensure first and foremost, of course, that the environment will be protected and that the benefits we gain from mining activities go back to local communities and contribute to holistic national development,” she said.

Mining activities must always respect the rights of indigenous peoples, she said. Any project that will be rolled out should not just be accepted by the community but benefit them.

Asked about potential Constitutional amendments, she said she understood long-standing concerns regarding some of the economic provisions.

“But I believe that the most urgent among these concerns can already be addressed without going through the tedious, contentious process of amending the Constitution. And one such way is through a more responsive Public Service Act, which opens up the Philippine economy to larger-scale investments and holds the potential of unlocking industries and expanding opportunity for our people,” she said.