MANILA — The country’s largest business organization, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), presented to President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday its list of resolutions formed in the weeks leading up to the 44th Philippine Business Conference (PBC), now taking place at the Manila Hotel.
These resolutions are touted to contain PCCI’s proposed solutions to many of the issues encumbering the country’s economy.
Tycoon Ramon Ang, who is this year’s PBC and Expo (PBCE), handed the resolutions over to the president.
PBC Resolutions Chairman Ivan John Uy mentioned that the list of proposed solutions came from various PCCI committees and the group’s regional conferences across the country early this year.
Uy mentioned that there were 45 resolutions from the committees and 61 from conferences that were consolidated in the 44th PBC submitted to the Chief Executive.
These resolutions are in the sectors of agriculture, agro-forestry, and fisheries; ease of doing business; education; energy committee; environment; industry and manufacturing; infrastructure, transportation, and logistics; legislative reforms; mining and mineral resources; taxation; and tourism.
In his speech, Ang highlighted the need to construct and fast-track infrastructure projects to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila, as well as improve the productivity of farmers.
“On average, we are losing PHP3 trillion to PHP4 trillion per year to traffic, airport, and seaport congestion. If we can solve this, our cost of doing business will improve tremendously,” Ang said.
He added that when the Skyway Stage 3 is completed, EDSA will be decongested by at least 40 percent.
The elevated expressway connecting North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway is a project of Ang’s San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
Early this year, SMC said the Skyway Stage 3 project will be finished by 2020, behind the original completion of the infrastructure slated in 2019 due to right of way issues.
“The government needs to work on resolving right of way issues. We need to connect Bunedia to Macapagal, Quirino to Roxas Blvd. Right of way issues are slowing down the construction process,” said Ang.
He also suggested to build an elevated road at EDSA-Rockwell flyover to allow motorists to pass through Boni Ave., Shaw Blvd., to Santolan in Quezon City to further ease the EDSA traffic.
“There are other transport solutions that should be implemented. We propose more elevated highways, and other mass transit systems,” he said.
Meantime, PCCI officials said that while most groups simply rant and complain to government about the country’s problems, their group has endeavored to propose actionable solutions. They expressed optimism that the administration will act favorably on their proposals. (Kris Crismundo/PNA)
