BBM, traders tackle jobs, investments

Major business leaders met with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to discuss ways to generate jobs and attract more investors, Malacañang said on Thursday.

In a social media post, the Office of the President said Marcos met in Malacañang members of the Private Sector Advisory Council that he formed, being led by Aboitiz Group President Sabin Aboitiz.

The council recommended “scaling up micro, small and medium enterprises, and attracting more investors” to the Chief Executive.

It also suggested making the workforce undergo skill-building for longer-term competitiveness.

Doing business made easy

In a separate statement, the PSAC said it proposed ways to entice more investors by improving the ease of doing business in the country and making labor market regulations more amenable.

In the meeting were Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, SM Investments vice chairperson Tessie Sy Coson, Alliance Global Group chief executive officer Kevin Tan, JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei, Ayala Corporation independent director Rizalina Mantaring and Magsaysay Group president and CEO Doris Magsaysay Ho.

The PSAC is set to meet with the President “in the coming weeks” to present a roadmap that will “help the ‘Build, Build, Build’ and tourism sectoral groups secure quick and substantial wins in the first 100 days of the administration.”

Marcos has vowed to expand the Duterte administration’s flagship infrastructure program, prioritizing the building of digital towers, railways, bridges and skyways.

Based on Department of Public Works and Highways data as of May 2022, “Build, Build, Build” projects provided 6.5 million jobs to Filipinos from 2016 to 2020.