MANILA, Philippines — Former president Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) provided the policies and reforms that created the country’s economic building blocks, according to former Secretary of Finance Roberto de Ocampo said on Saturday.
De Ocampo, who also serves as the chair of the FVR Legacy Initiative, spoke about the former president’s legacy during the launch of the FVR Online Presidential Library.
“Not only the Philippines, but the entire world, seems to acknowledge President Ramos as one of the country’s greatest presidents. He was able to introduce reforms which up to now provide the building blocks of our economy,” De Ocampo told reporters.
The former finance chief cited the comprehensive tax reform program, the privatization program, and the build-operate-transfer law.
“He came to office because people came to acknowledge his capability, administrative ability, his incorruptibility, his role in bringing back democracy to the country and finally his role in bringing the Philippines back to the eyes of the international community as a country to be proud of,” said De Ocampo.
According to De Ocampo, Ramos was a skilled administrator who was able to execute his plans.
“The Philippines is usually criticized for being very good at making plans, voluminous paperwork, speeches. We are good at the talk, but President Ramos will be remembered for being able to walk the talk for his country, and be able to inspire them to think along the ways of implementing execution, not just talk, but walking the talk,” said De Ocampo.
De Ocampo hopes that more online presidential libraries will be made following Ramos’ repository.
“I’m hoping that with this as a model so to speak, that other presidents of the Philippines may also come up with their own online libraries,” he said.
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