Recto: PH dev’t should not be dictated by political whims

MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the Marcos administration is committed to implementing Ambisyon Natin 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, noting that development should not be controlled by political whims but by data, direction, and discipline.

In his speech during the 90th Anniversary of Socio-Economic Planning on Wednesday, Recto emphasized the importance of having a long-term plan that extends beyond administrations.

READ: Half of Filipinos consider themselves poor – SWS September 2025 survey

“We chose to believe that our development should not be dictated by political whims but by data, direction, and discipline,” he said.

Ambisyon Natin 2040, initiated by the Department of Economic Planning and Development (Depdev), formerly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), is a national plan to transform the country into a prosperous and predominantly middle-class society by 2040.

The Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, meanwhile, aims to boost economic growth, create more jobs, and reduce poverty through major economic and social reforms.

“Together, they are our bibles in planning — one tells us where we are going, the other tells us how we get there, regardless of who is in office or what crisis we face,” he said.

“And crises, as history has shown, are inevitable. And our country’s challenges are complex. They are generational. They cannot be solved by a six-year plan, or a three-year term, or a midnight executive order. That is why long-term, inclusive, and resilient planning is necessary because without it, we would not be sailing the ship of state, we would be simply drifting,” Recto also said.

He also reiterated the government’s goal to reduce the poverty rate to single digits by the end of Marcos’ term.

“A decade ago, poverty incidence stood at 23.5 percent. Today, through inclusive growth strategies — even amid a pandemic and repeated global shocks — we have reduced it to 15.5 percent. By 2028, we are determined to bring poverty down to single-digit levels,” Recto said.

Moreover, he cited the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza war, the Israel-Iran war, and trade wars, in stressing the importance of planning for the future.

“Each crisis was different in form, but identical in consequence. It reminded us of the same truth: countries without plans react. But countries with plans recover, adapt, and emerge stronger,” he said.

READ: To attain single-digit poverty rate, PH must grow by 8% yearly ‘til 2028

Recto, who also served as NEDA secretary from 2008 to 2009, also hailed the role that Depdev plays in the economic growth of the Philippines.

He described the agency as “the nerve center of reason” and the “scoreboard keeper” for the government’s priority targets when it comes to growth.

“It is the chief exponent of Philippine progress and champion of the ordinary Filipino. It is the nerve center of reason in the noise of populism. It is the scoreboard keeper of what truly matters: jobs created, investments drawn in, classrooms and roads built, and Filipinos lifted out of poverty,” he said.

“While others obsess over political surveys, we pore over household surveys. While others post status updates, we update development indicators,” he also said.

Recto further said, “Because the true state of the nation is written not in rhetoric, but in economic conditions felt by Filipino families every day — in the price of rice and food, in the availability of decent jobs, and in achieving a bright future.” /das