President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Monday to improve the economic conditions in the country through manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, especially in rural areas.
“We must also invest in human capital and ensure equal access to economic opportunities,” the President said in his First State of the Nation Address (SONA), adding that “when employment is not an option, for instance in extremely rural neighborhoods, entrepreneurship would be advocated.”
He said his administration will also enhance the local business environment by addressing bottlenecks in business registration and processing, streamlining investment application processes, and integrating the services of various government offices.
Government financial institutions (GFIs) shall come up with out-of-the box financing packages to capacitate small and medium entrepreneurs, he said. In the tourism sector, the Duterte administration will construct more access roads and tourism gateways to service centers and vacation destinations.
Road development projects will complement the government’s thrust to provide modern agriculture infrastructure by expanding and improving farm-to-market roads, accelerating the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and establishing modern harvest and post-harvest facilities to minimize losses, the President said.
PRRD disclosed that a nationwide soil analysis will be conducted to determine areas most suitable for rice farming to optimize production with the use of effective soil rehabilitation and fertilization. To fight illegal fishing, the government will strictly implement the country’s fishery laws and promote aquaculture in backyards and along river banks.
To accelerate infrastructure spending, the administration will improve national roads and bridges as well as implement the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network and other road network master plans. “We shall also pursue inter-island linkage projects,” he said.
The implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law must be put into full force so that couples, especially the poor, have freedom of informed choice on the number and spacing of children they want. According to PRRD, this will enable Filipino couples to adequately care and provide for their children and eventually make them more productive members of the labor force.
To promote, protect, and fulfill the rights of the citizens, especially the poor, social justice will be pursued, and the rule of law shall prevail at all times. “My administration shall implement a human approach to development and governance, as we improve our people’s welfare in the areas of health, education, adequate food and housing, environmental preservation, and respect for culture,” President Duterte said. PND |