EYES ON THE ECONOMY | President Marcos presides over his first Cabinet meeting in Malacañang, telling his officials that the economic managers will set the overall policy that his administration will follow. (Photo from an RTVM video)
MANILA, Philippines — The economic team of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. presented Monday his administration’s eight-point economic agenda.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno presented the goals of the Marcos administration, a day after the president delivered his first State of the Nation Address (Sona).
The socioeconomic agenda in the near and medium-term consists of the following:
- protect the purchasing power of families by ensuring food security, reducing transport and logistics costs, and reducing energy costs
- reduce vulnerability and mitigate scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic by tackling health, strengthening social protection, and addressing learning losses
- ensure sound macroeconomic fundamentals by improving bureaucratic efficiency and ensuring sound fiscal management
- create more jobs by promoting investments, improving infrastructure, and ensuring energy security, among others
- create quality jobs by increasing employability, encouraging research and development and innovation, and enhancing the digital economy
- create green jobs by pursuing a green and blue economy and establishing livable and sustainable communities
- uphold public order and safety, peace, and security
- ensure a level playing field by strengthening market competition and reducing barriers to entry and limits to entrepreneurship
“In the near term, we will address the most pressing issues faced by our people: rising prices, socioeconomic scarring from the pandemic, and ensuring sound macroeconomic fundamentals,” Diokno said.
“Over the medium term, we will focus on creating more jobs, quality jobs, and green jobs by investing heavily in infrastructure, human capital development, and the digital economy,” he added.
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