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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants locally manufactured building materials used in future infrastructure projects of the government, Malacañang said on Sunday.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Marcos agreed with the proposal for local procurement presented by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) during a meeting in the Palace on Oct. 26, as he recognized the importance of giving preference and priority to building materials manufactured in the country.
The president said this was “a step towards the right direction as preference and priority in the procurement of government projects should be given to local products that meet the specified or desired quality.”
“Our advocacy is really to promote our buy local, Filipino-made products for Filipinos. It’s just fair for our government to take the lead, in also patronizing our own locally made products,” the PCO also quoted PSAC lead convener Sabin Aboitiz as saying.
Bongbong Marcos ordered the Department of Trade and Industry to coordinate with PSAC in coming up with a list of specific construction materials that could be used for government infrastructure projects.
He also ordered the Department of Budget and Management, through the Government Procurement Policy Board, to complement the policy of giving preference to local materials through relevant guidelines, subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.
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World-class manufacturers
The president stressed the need to specify which materials would be procured by the government to avoid any conflict in the future.
“We need to make everything clear, whether that will be through an administrative order or some other form,” he said.
The PCO said members of PSAC sought the government’s support to patronize the local industry as they emphasized that the Philippines had a lot of talents and products that were world-class quality, “if not at par, even better” than those of neighboring countries.
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Particularly, PSAC assured the President that local manufacturing industries were producing cement, steel, and other construction materials that conform with the Philippine national standards designed to withstand the country’s climate and other natural disasters.
It is estimated that government construction projects accounted for 30-40 percent of the total domestic consumption of cement manufactured in the Philippines.
The PSAC meeting, the second that Marcos presided over this year, included presentations from the council members on issues and recommendations related to manufacturing, energy, and water.
The council members presented action plans to address energy concerns, including regulatory reforms, transmission issues, and other measures aimed at providing affordable energy for consumers.
They also called for the government’s full support for multipurpose dam projects identified in several regions, emphasizing the need to streamline processes for water-related infrastructure projects.
Among the PSAC members present during the meeting were PLDT head Manuel Pangilinan, former Finance Undersecretary Eric Recto, and ports and gaming tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.