Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:23 pm | Monday, July 22nd, 2013
President Benigno Aquino III
MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino’s long and “exhaustive” State of the Nation Address drew praises from some of the country’s biggest business groups, which commended the government’s thrust for integrity and inclusive growth.
At the same time, however, business groups like the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) were expecting to hear an action plan and road maps that would enable the country — both the government and the private sector–to achieve target growths.
In a phone interview, Philexport president Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis noted that this year’s SONA was really more a “report of what has been happening.”
“Nothing much new in the speech, so I wished there’d be more of road maps on infrastructure and timetables. I was also hoping to hear more on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) but there were no mention,” Ortiz-Luis explained.
“I was also hoping that there would be mention on mining as well. But I’m happy that the President talked about tourism. Then again, it’s just a report, it’s a report of accomplishment and not a plan. I don’t know what it should be but I would have wanted to hear more about road maps,” he further explained.
“It’s especially crucial that President Aquino mention a more specific timetable because we’re already halfway through his administration,” he further said.
PCCI president Miguel B. Varela, meanwhile, gave the government the thumbs up, noting that it was “very good to hear very positive things in the country and the opportunities that have opened.
“You can see the leader’s determination to work hard to achieve further growth. He certainly put things in proper perspective,” Varela said in a separate phone interview on Monday.
“The President has the determination to do the right things and achieve the necessary growth targets… He has mentioned his push for legislative initiatives like the rationalization of incentives, which is important,” Varela further said.
Varela, however, said there was no mention of specific actions and activities, which he said should be defined to attain the growth targets of the Aquino administration.
In a separate interview, MAP president Melito S. Salazar Jr. noted that this year’s SONA was an “exhausting speech.”
“But the message was loud and clear – gains made because of good governance; less than good performance means departure of officials concerned; determination to demand better performance or else; infrastructure improved and more for the future,” Salazar explained.
“I would have wanted the president to identify areas where the public could do their share. A call for national discipline and following rules and regulations especially traffic laws would have been good,” he said.
“I believe the President sounded the need for faster and better results knowing the few remaining years in office. Overall, I am satisfied with the speech. I just hope the rest of government, especially the judiciary and legislature, follow his lead,” Varela further said.
Varela, however, pointed out that while in some areas the President was pretty specific, such as infrastructure, in other areas, he was not so.
“On trade and industry, plans and road maps were not given. I would have wanted a statement on how Philippines will be competitive given the challenges of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015,” he further said.
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Tags: Benigno Aquino III , Business , MAP , pcci , Philexport , politics , SONA 2013
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