Bbm–unity in the face of challenges
‘PRAY for me. Wish me well. I want to do well… When a president does well, the country does well.”
That was what President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos, Jr. said after his official proclamation by Congress on May 25 as the 17th Philippine president together with his running mate Sara Duterte-carpio who took her oath of office as Vice President last June 19.
Marcos added that “the most valuable thing a public servant may receive “from a fellow citizen is a vote.” While a vote embeds the people’s hopes and aspirations for the future, “embedded in that vote are the trust and the confidence that they give to you.”
A public servant since 1980, Marcos has held several positions in both the legislative and executive branches of government. He served as Senator from 2010 to 2016; Congressman of Ilocos Norte (2nd District) from 2007 to 2010 and from 1992 to 1995; Governor of Ilocos Norte from 1992 to 1995 and from 1983 to 1986 and Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte from 1980 to 1983.
As a legislator, Marcos authored landmark laws such as the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law (Republic Act 9522). When he was governor, Marcos transformed Ilocos Norte into a firstclass province by capitalizing on the strengths of the land and its people. He modernized both its agricultural and tourism landscape making it both an agricultural exporter and tourism hotspot.
Supermajority president
WITH 31,629,783 votes, Marcos is a supermajority president who has been left with the awesome task of leading the nation through a range of super challenges and risks from within and outside of the country. To overcome these challenges, Marcos said it is unity, his campaign battle cry, that will allow the country to move forward especially with the pandemic’s disastrous effects on the economy.
Marcos also stressed during his proclamation rally that unity should not stop after the elections but should continue long after. “Let’s continue to be united for the good of the Filipino people. We should not stop seeking a better future. Let’s come together so that we can recover together.”
Keeping this in mind, the president buckled down to work after his official proclamation. At the top of his agenda is to come up with an economic team that will help him with the first and hardest task of dealing with the economic problems and the harshest impact of inflation brought about by many factors like global food production crisis and continuing supply chain woes; the Ukraine war; and steady spikes in oil and gas prices, among others.
Economic team
ON May 26, Marcos announced that he will be appointing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Benjamin E. Diokno to take the helm of his economic team as Finance Secretary. Diokno previously served as the Budget and Management Secretary of President Rodrigo R. Duterte before his stint in BSP.
Diokno’s vacated position in BSP will be filled up by Felipe M. Medalla, a former director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and who has been serving as member of the Monetary Board. He will take on Diokno’s unexpired term.
Also joining Marcos’s economic team is former University of the Philippines president Alfred E. Pascual, who will head the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Manuel “Manny” M. Bonoan, who will serve as Public Works Secretary, will also be part of his economic team.
Economist Arsenio Balisacan has been appointed director general of the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) which he headed under the late former president Benigno Aquino III.
“I have asked him to return to NEDA. I’ve worked with him extensively at the time when I was governor. We have very similar thinking in that regard so I’m confident about it. I know he’s very competent. I know his policies are policies that will be for the betterment of our country,” Marcos explained of his choice of Balisacan.
“I know the economic team is critical and that is what people are looking for. I think we found the best people, who can look forward and to anticipate what the conditions will be in the Philippines and the rest of the world in the
Business groups
THE Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) and Go Negosyo founder and Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Conception have all welcomed the composition of Marcos’s economic team.
“Drs. Diokno and Medalla are notable economists who have the scholastic distinction and extensive experience that transcend different administrations, making them the best candidates for these roles,” Antonio C. Moncupa Jr., President of BAP, said in a statement.
Concepcion, for his part, welcomed the nomination of Pascual, who is also president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), as incoming DTI Secretary.
“President Marcos made an excellent choice in appointing Pascual as his DTI chief. This is a testament of his commitment to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME),” Concepcion said in a media interview.
“With Fred as secretary, there will be continuity in programs and policies, especially now that we are on our way towards economic recovery,” he added.
Impressive credentials
SERGIO ORTIZ-LUIS JR., president of Philexport, the umbrella organization of Philippine exporters, said the organization is “happy with the appointment of the economic cluster, as the impressive credentials and track records of the team members are expected to help the country sustain the respect and credibility in the local and international community.”
Ortiz-luis added that Philexport collaborated with most of the economic managers on its past advocacies that centered on export promotion and support for exporters and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES).
He said the trade association
looks forward to stronger dialogue and collaboration with the incoming economic cluster on addressing the many issues faced by MSMES and exporters, who have been the worst hit by the ongoing pandemic, inflation, rising fuel prices, geopolitics and trade disruptions.
The same is true for Balisacan, who is also the first Chairman of the Philippine Competition Commission that was institutionalized during the Duterte administration.
“We are confident that under their stewardship, the country will be able to successfully navigate the various fiscal and economic challenges incumbent upon us,” Moncupa stressed.
Economic recovery
WHILE businesses need to get people back to work to help in economic recovery, the transportation crisis has been hindering their mobility. Commuters are suffering daily in hellish queues at bus carousel stations along Edsa, the Mass Railway Transit Line-3 and the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
To help Marcos come up with solutions to the transportation crisis, veteran airline executive Jaime “Jimmy” Bautista has been named Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTR). A Certified Public Accountant, Bautista worked at the country’s flagship Philippine Airlines (PAL) for 25 years and was its president for a combined 13 years before retiring for the second time in 2019.
According to Bautista, he was tasked by Marcos “to provide the riding public with accessible, affordable, comfortable and safe travel.” Aside from complaints from commuters, he will also have to deal with transport drivers and operators struggling to keep their vehicles on the road as the cost of fuel products continues to soar.
Former Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Deputy Administrator Cesar Chavez was named DOTR Undersecretary for Rails. Chavez, who President Duterte appointed to the same position in 2017, was instrumental in securing the NEDA Board’s approval for the Metro Manila Subway, PNR Manila to Calamba, PNR Manila to Bicol, and the Tagum-davao-digos Mindanao rail projects.
Agriculture
WHEN he decided to run for president, Marcos said agriculture “is going to be a critical and foundational part of the country’s economic development or economic transformation.” He added that the situation in Ukraine and Russia “has affected the Philippine agriculture, including food supply in a very serious way.”
“I spoke with the economic team at length about the measures that we will have to take because we are forecasting that there will be an increase in food prices in the next quarters that will come simply because of the outside forces that have been impacting on food supply,” Marcos said.
“The problem is severe enough that
I have decided to take on the portfolio of Secretary of Agriculture for now and at least until we can reorganize the Department of Agriculture in the way that will make it ready for the next years to come,” he said.
If Marcos’ choices of Cabinet members are anything to go by, they are indications that he is politically color blind in his Cabinet choices. This is necessary for a President who needs all the help he can get to get his job done. As Marcos once said, “Judge me not by my ancestors but by my actions.”