HELLO PO, TORONTO!
‘LACKLUSTER’ was a favorite word of economic experts in describing the country’s economic movement during the year 2011. Other more critical groups use the word ‘DISMAL’.
Opo, tama po yata sila dahil di nga gaanong napagtagumpayan ng Aquino administration ang pamamahala ng ating ekonomiya for the year just past.
The 3.6% economic growth rate for the first nine months of last year was dismal and below the 2011 target of at least 4,5% ang mas lalong below the long- term goal of 7 to 8% annual increase in gross domestic product (GDP). Ang practical translation nito sa buhay ng ordinaryong Pinoy ay lumabas sa maraming surveys ng mga weather stations na nagsabing marami pa ring gutom na mga mamamayan these days.
What happened? Ganda na sana ng dating ng PNoy leadership- bow ang President Obama, the Brazilian PM, pati mga taga IMF sa good governance practices nya. Our country was also given the honor of being in the steering committee of the newly- organized good governance council, the establishment of which was initiated by no less than the US President. Kabi- kabila din ang invites for our PNoy to share best practices experiences on good governance. The Emperor of Japan who is known not to make chika with heads of state na walang K ay nakipag- usap sa kanya during the Philippine President’s official visit to Japan.
Hmm, maraming haka- haka and kuru- kuro. Yung ibang inis, bopol daw kasi ang economic managers (MIS pa nga ang pamprefix sa word na ini to refer to the kind of economic specialists that PNoy chose as part of his team) ni Aquino. Sabi naman ng iba, medyo na late ang release ng budget at sa takot maubos ito ay tinipid nang tinipid and very proud pa sila sa ginawang pagtitipid. Yun pala…
Dapat daw pala ay nagsagawa sila ng economic movement instead of the massive under spending they resorted to – overcautious daw sila or worse, walang k ang mga nahirang na tagapamahala ng ekonomiya at di nawawaan ang kanilang pinaggagagawa.
Palusot nina Edwin Lacierda, pangunahing spokesman ng Presidente ay ang overall global economic crises. Philippine economy kasi daw naman is dependent and influenced greatly by the behavior of larger economies- so kapit tayo tuwing nagkakagulo sa Middle East, tuliro ang Uropa sa kanilang debt crisis, at mabagal na mabagal ang economic recovery ng USA.Tama naman yun, dib a po?
Andun na nga, ang sabi naman ng mga experts, andun na nga at nagkakagulo, bakit ba naman ikaw PNoy, you compounded the difficulty by your very tight budgeting – alam mo bang masama iyon sa economic growth ng bansang pinangungunahan mo?
The country needed sustained economic growth upang maipasulong ang ekono- miya – meaning the improvement of economic and social conditions at ang pagpa-palakas ng mga institusyong umiiral dito. We note a moving economy through a sustained rise of per capita output, technological progress, patuloy na pagtaas, no matter how small kada increase, ng pasweldo sa mamamayan, a high rate of change sa istruktura ng ekonomiya, and ang magagandang pagbabago sa buhay sa lipunan at iba pang non- economic aspects.
Maliban sa mga palusot ni Lacierda, tanggap na ng administrasyong ito ang kanilang kapalpakan. Tingin sa kanan, tingin sa kaliwa, baling sa likuran, hmmp, walang makitang pagbibintangang syang pumalpak- fingerpointing baga. Kitang- kita naman, palpak sina PNoy in this area.
So, gagawan nila ng paraan. Ganoon lang kasimple. Lagi talaga, mas mabuting tanggapin ang pagkukulang and then resort to remedy. Hahangaan pa ng mamamayan ang ganiyan. Tao lang tayo, di ba? Nagkakamali, napapalpak magkaminsan. Sana huwag madalas, take note PNoy managers!
Sa katitipid at kaiingat sa kabang bayan,in the year 2011, nagkaroon pa mandin ang pamahalaang ito ng unspent, hindi nagastos, take note po, (by October, 2011.) ng halagang Php 142 billion! Ito ay nakalaan noon sa mga infrastructure and other capital outlays sana. Well, sinubukan din namang gastahin ang halagang ito during the last quarter of last year; meron pang bonus spending amount of Php 72 to 92 billion stimulus package pero di na rin napagtagumpayang itaas ang ating gross domestic product. Total government expenditure for the last 11 months of last year, neto na po ng interes ay umabot ng Php 1.35 trillion. Short po ito ng Php 365 billion to meet the programmed Php 1.711 trillion expenditure sana for the year 2011.
A very serious implementation of the Philippine Development Plan for 2011- 2016 ng mga PNoynians (bago to, a!) will be needed. Matatandaan na alang economic blueprint si Pnoy nang siya ay magsimulang manungkulan. Nitong March 2011 lamang naimplement ang PDP ng Aquino administration. Very optimistic naman si Cayetano Paderanga, Jr., socio- economic planning chief- objective daw ng Plan to see to a high and sustained domestic growth that will generate massive employment and reduce poverty substantially. Of course ganyan naman ang layon ng bawat Planong pang ekonomiya- in our case, sana magkatotoo, we need this urgently.
At balikan natin ang pronouncement ni spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Malacanang spokeman.
‘The economy will be the focus of the President this year,’ Say nya. To prove this, he announced the release this month of Php 141.8 billion for infrastructure projects- para daw sa mga daanan, lansangan, highways, water supply projects, electrification projects, airports and seaports, flood control facilities, etc etc. Hmmm, Maigi naman. Natuto na sa leksyon ng nakaraang taon- di ba’t ang unspent budget for infra and other capital outlay last year was of the same amount? Kaya Enero pa lang e simulan na abg paggasta ng pondong iyan para umusad na ang ekonomiya.
Pangako naman din ni Lacierda na ang focus to the economy will not relegate good governance activities to the background. Tuluy- tuloy pa rin daw ang pagwawalis ng mga dumi sa gobyerno. Buti naman, sana naman,malipol na ang mga iyan.
A moving economy- upwards ha?…a government that truly serves the citizenry- terrific combination, wala na tayong mahihiling pa.
No way to go but up!
THANK YOU PO, TORONTO!
