Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. on Monday, November 27, announced that the government has kept momentum in attracting investors and generating jobs for the Filipinos.
In his first press briefing at the Annex Building, Presidential Guesthouse in Panacan, Davao City, Roque cited a report from the Board of Investments (BOI) stating that investment approvals in October this year surged 187 percent to P27.6-billion, as compared to P9.6-billion in the same month last year.
“In addition, the January to October 2017 period showed significant growth in overall investment approvals, approved projects, and employment generation,” Roque said.
BOI data showed total investment approvals in the first 10 months hit P408.7-billion or up 38.1 percent from the same period in 2016. Approved projects, on the other hand, increased by 30 percent with 369 projects as compared to 283 projects in the same period last year.
“Napakadami pong namumuhunan sa ating bayan,” Roque added.
“With this additional investments, there were additional 69,862 new jobs created in the first 10 months, which is 35.1 percent higher than last year’s 51,732,” the Spokesperson said.
In terms of agriculture, the sector recorded a 4.64 percent growth in output in the first nine months, and 2.32 percent growth in the third quarter of 2017. At current prices, the third quarter growth amounted to P382.5-billion in gross value of production. The agricultural sector’s growth was attributed to production gains in the crops, livestock, and poultry subsectors.
Roque also reported that the farmer’s income increased by 3.68 percent from July to September, and 4.19 percent in the first nine months of 2017.
Meanwhile, global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service believes that the Philippine economy will grow to 6.5 percent this year, hitting the government’s target of 6.5 to 7 percent.
“We are on track given that we are already in November. So the 6.5 to 7 percent growth rate forecasted by authorities will happen (based) from all indications,” Roque underscored.
‘77% Filipinos supports gov’t Marawi rehab efforts’
In the same press briefing, the Presidential Spokesperson also cited a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey result stating that 77 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the government’s efforts to rebuild Marawi.
“Just last week, I conducted also my first press briefing in Marawi, where we announced the government plans for the recovery of Marawi and with the government’s promise to deliver the first 500 temporary housing, which I’ve seen with my own two eyes, by mid-December of this year,” Roque recalled.
The said temporary shelters are in addition to the 500 nipa huts earlier donated by non-governmental organizations in Marawi City.
On the recovery efforts, the government is planning to flatten the most affected areas, widening road infrastructure to four-lane roads and building promenades in a bid to transform Marawi as a major tourist hub.
“We will show that with political will, with renewed faith and trust in government, na babangon po ang Marawi,” Roque said.
‘Localized peace talks with Reds’
Roque also said that peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA) may proceed on a local level.
“We have local autonomy so the peace talks can proceed on a local level if the local government units should want or desire to proceed,” he underscored.
This is with reference to Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s intention to continue the peace talks with the communist group even as negotiations on the national level were terminated.
“Alam niyo naman dito sa Davao, talaga namang ang Presidente has always had close relations with them kaya he really feels betrayed,” the President’s spokesperson said.
Roque even enumerated a number of things the President did in favor of the communist group, such as appointing a number of their comrades in key government positions and supporting left-leaning party-list groups in the President’s home province during elections.
Roque added that the President was sincere in negotiating peace with the communists. (PCO-Content)
