PBBM's winning team
“I want to do well. Because when a president does well, the country does well.” — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
I’ve always been fascinated by the game of basketball and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In my opinion, the philosophies, strategies and methods by every team and organization in the NBA may be applied in leadership and governance, and practically in our everyday life.
I like how competitive the NBA organizations/teams and the players are recruiting only the best basketball minds and the most talented athletes in the world. Recently, we have witnessed in the NBA Finals a battle between two great teams — the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. These two disciplined teams followed the process of building from the draft and developing their own stars in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for the Warriors, and Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart for the Celtics. These teams have inculcated the culture of winning and succeeding, not only in their players, but also to their home cities and fans as well.
The composition of the Marcos economic team shows us the determination of President Bongbong Marcos in doing well for the country. The President built a winning team in Secretary Benjamin Diokno (Finance), Secretary Arsenio Balisacan (National Economic and Development Authority), Governor Felipe Medalla (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), Secretary Alfredo Pascual (Trade and Industry) and Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (Budget and Management). Indeed, all of them are stars in their fields. But as in basketball, it will be their teamwork and chemistry that will matter, not their individual successes.
I believe that the team’s professional brilliance and cumulative experience in government bureaucracy give them a great chance to succeed. Collectively, they share common economic philosophies. This bodes well in their chemistry and cohesion as to policy-setting and decision-making. Their training and experience reveal that they will rely heavily on math and statistics in crafting goals and strategies.
In the previous week, Secretary Diokno bared the economic goals of the Marcos Presidency: GDP (gross domestic product) growth of 6.5 percent to 8 percent yearly to 2028; debt-to-GDP ratio from 63.5 percent to 60 percent in 2025; infrastructure spending, 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP; reduce poverty incidence from 23.7 percent to 9 percent in 2028; and $4,046 per capita income by the end of term. Clearly, the team has set the economic statistics by which we will measure their success. We will be assured that the team will be guided by metrics (not politics or other considerations) in setting policies and making decisions affecting the well-being of our nation.
From these economic targets, we are presented with the possible directions the government will be taking in the next six years. Secretary Diokno is a firm believer in government having an active participation and contribution in the country’s economic growth through public infrastructure spending. The infrastructure spending rate of 6 percent to GDP will ensure the continuity of the “Build, Build, Build” program successfully implemented under President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
The most ambitious goal for President Marcos’ economic team, I believe, is the reduction of poverty incidence in the country to a single
“President Marcos leading the Agriculture Department is a huge sign that he is taking charge and that he will be the main guy on the team.
digit or at 9 percent. President Noynoy Aquino’s term exhibited many economic gains, including GDP average yearly growth rate of 6.2 percent and lowering debtto-GDP ratio to more than 10 percentage points in less than six years. However, the growth failed to reduce poverty. Poverty incidence was at 26.3 percent at the end of PNoy’s term.
The special attention given by President Marcos to the agriculture sector by personally directing the Department of Agriculture shows us he will be leading the offense in the fight against poverty, inequality and unemployment. The President will rely on Secretary Balisacan in crafting those offensive strategies.
Our country’s experiences in recent years show us that urban growth without integrating rural development only amplified poverty and inequality.
It will not be an inclusive growth. Historical experience from developed nations and mathematical economic models have demonstrated that the agriculture sector is the best driver for rural development as it is labor intensive (employment generation) and has extensive backward and forward linkages from other local industries. This means that the agriculture sector links many other industries as it consumes outputs from other industries (i.e., chemicals and fertilizers), while also supplying inputs for use for production of other industries (i.e., food, processed goods, raw materials).
Indeed, President Marcos leading the Agriculture Department is a huge sign that he is taking charge and that he will be the main guy on the team — a leader willing to assume responsibility and play hard because he is determined to win the battle for our country’s long-term and inclusive economic growth.
“Indeed, all of them are stars in their fields. But as in basketball, it will be their teamwork and chemistry that will matter, not their individual successes.