Noy to business leaders: Help us get momentum going

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino exhorted business leaders yesterday to help his administration “get the momentum going,” underpinned by the strengthening peso, the record stock index and the successful peso-denominated global bond issue.

“We do not fool ourselves to say that we will transform society in six years. We will not change it entirely but we are hoping that the momentum and what people will expect as minimum governance will be at such a level that any subsequent administration will be hard pressed to go on a different path. If they want to get elected, they will have to follow that which has already been done,” Mr. Aquino told participants of the Economic Business Leaders’ Conference in Malacañang yesterday. In the conference, the businessmen expressed their concerns and aspirations while at the same time assured his government of support.

“To get that momentum going, we really do need your help,” Aquino said. “You can put in lack of cooperation, you can give us a lot of stumbling blocks, but at the end of the day, who benefits from such a nation?”

The President said “there are those who would want us to go back to the status quo where there are very few people benefiting, to the detriment of the entire nation.”

Mr. Aquino said key positions in government had already been filled as Ramon del Rosario, chairman of the Makati Business Club who spoke on behalf of the businessmen, noted that after three months, many key positions remained vacant.

Mr. Aquino joked there were some in the crowd whom he had tried but failed to convince to join his government.

The President took note of the urgency to fill all the 4,300 positions because of the election ban on Sept. 25.

As regards tax evasion
and smuggling, Mr. Aquino said each of the concerned agencies had promised to file major cases every other week and that he had been pestering them, especially the justice secretary, on the status of the cases that had been filed as well as on prospects of getting convictions.

“I will be escorting the first convicted individuals to their new accommodations at the (New Bilibid Prisons). We have also done a survey of the New Bilibid’s properties and there is great room for expansion. But I don’t request that most individuals stand up to join this particular subdivision,” Mr. Aquino said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Mr. Aquino said he would order a review of the Labor Code and that he was very pleased with the performance of Acting Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

He explained that Baldoz was appointed in an acting capacity because he was not sure if they would have a good working relationship.

Mr. Aquino said he had asked Baldoz to serve in a permanent capacity and would be tasked to review the Labor Code.

Regarding the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Mr. Aquino said he was still studying how the government would go about fully operating the facility. Due to pending cases, the airport is not yet fully operational.

Mr. Aquino said he was tempted to announce the facility would be open soon but he said plans would have to be fine tuned first.

He said the removal of the common carriers tax would also be discussed with allies in Congress because this would need legislation to be modified.

Mr. Aquino also assured the business leaders that his government was addressing disaster risk mitigation as 66 of the 80 provinces were already at high risk of experiencing flash floods and landslides.

He said weather reporting has been improved and “there seems to be less reprints of previous weather predictions.”

“They’ve already agreed with me that our people are now better prepared to meet these disasters and all it took was to replace one individual who believed he was God’s gift to the Filipino people,” Mr. Aquino said, apparently taking a swipe at former chief weatherman Nilo Prisco.

The President noted that there were 4.6 million Filipino families who were living below the poverty line and in need of help.

He said this was the reason why the government opted to implement the conditional cash transfer as temporary relief for them.

Mr. Aquino said his government was also pinpointing “land mines” left in the different agencies by the previous administration. He did not elaborate.

The President said the government was serious about public-private partnerships and would always be ready to listen to the concerns of the business community.

He said they were not “enemies” and should be working together for the sake of the country.

In his speech, Del Rosario congratulated the President for the bright economic prospects, especially the success of the peso-denominated global bond issue, which he said was “unthinkable” even just a year or so ago.

Del Rosario said while the signs were encouraging, it was important not to be complacent.

He said the administration must articulate its vision for 2010 to 2016 and define its priority programs to establish the context for the key projects it was pushing.

“Otherwise, the tendency would be to approach governance as a problem-solving or fire-fighting exercise,” Del Rosario said.

“And of course, for this vision to achieve its purpose, it must be communicated effectively both within government and from government to the public,” he said.

Del Rosario said there must be clear and consistent policies because “policy uncertainties and instability” would turn off investors, particularly in the energy and mining sectors.

He said there must be market-oriented pricing and consistent Energy Regulatory Commission behavior.

“On mining, the government should decide whether or not it wishes to aggressively develop the country’s mineral resources, and if so, it should come up with clear guidelines for the implementation of the Mining Act and work proactively with mining communities and Church leaders to gain acceptance of mining ventures,” he said.

Assured of a level playing field, Del Rosario said they would like a rigorous campaign against smuggling and tax evasion and a more comprehensive approach to stop flooding and other man-made disasters.

Aurea Calica, Philippine Star