April 19, 2017 – News Releases

19 April 2017
DuterteNomics unveiled

Pasay City — The Department of Finance (DOF) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), in cooperation with the Center for Strategy, Enterprise & Intelligence (CenSEI), unveiled Tuesday the President’s economic and development blueprint for the Philippines, aptly called “DuterteNomics,” in a forum held at The Conrad Hotel. 

 “(DuterteNomics) It started out with a simple yet pragmatic economic strategy: Rid the streets our country of criminals, free our people from the menace of drug abuse, bring lasting peace to our southern islands, and neutralize extremist and terrorist groups,” said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea who opened the forum adding that “the concept is easy to understand: restore peace and order and the rule of law, and everything else will follow, including economic and social development.” 
 
Nine months since the Duterte administration took the reins of national governance, the economy is on a roll with gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 7.1% in the third quarter of 2016.  Business, investor and consumer confidence are high.  People feel safe and secure in the streets and at home.
 
To sustain the economic momentum, the President’s economic managers formulated DuterteNomics, which is anchored on the Administration’s 10-Point Socio Economic Agenda. 
 
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who gave the keynote address of the event, said that “this is the time to move decisively” as “it is time now for a breakout” with the Philippines having “a leader capable of much audacity” and that “all the favorable factors are present.”
 
The forum was divided into six sessions – Session 1: Economic Overview and Philippine Development Plan (PDP) Highlights; Session 2: BuildBuildBuild Infrastructure Plan; Session 3: Fiscal Issues on Revenue and Spending; Session 4: Mindanao Economy/ Major Development Initiatives in Mindanao; Session 5: International Context and Environment for the Philippine Government; and Session 6: Reactions to DuterteNomics.  
 
The six sessions were presented by notable panel of speakers from the President’s Cabinet. Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Director-General of the National and Economic Development Authority (NEDA), presented the first session on the country’s recent economic performance and outlook, as well as the Duterte administration’s Medium-Term Development Plan 2017-2022, focusing on strategies for infrastructure development as one of the foundations for sustained economic growth.
 
Build Build Build 
 
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar opened the second session on the Build Build Build Infrastructure Plan.
 
“The main program of the Duterte Administration to grow the economy, reduce poverty and solve congestion in Metro Manila is to build, build, build,” Andanar said. 
 
The Presidential Communications Chief noted that it is the first time in history that members of the Cabinet are working together to make the infrastructure plans of the government a reality.
 
Andanar added, “We will embark on the most ambitious infrastructure in history which will usher in the Golden Age of Infrastructure.”
 
Related to this, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella mentioned that the government has created a Build, Build, Build portal (www.build.gov.ph) noting the administration’s commitment to transparency in governance.
 
“It’s a real-time tool where projects are monitored and tracked with relevant information made available to everyone. It’s a manifestation of the Duterte government’s commitment to ensure that all these projects will be corruption-free,” Abella underscored.
 
Joining Andanar and Abella in the discussion of the Build Build Build Infrastructure Plan are Executive Secretary Medialdea, Secretary Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), President and CEO Vince Dizon of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Secretary Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and SocioEconomic Planning Secretary Pernia.
 
Budget Secretary Diokno discussed fiscal issues in revenue and spending in Session Three.  The Budget Chief likewise touched on the additional investments needed to finance the Administration’s development priorities, including tax reform for acceleration and inclusion (TRAIN).
 
Representing the business community is Mr. John Gaisano, Chairperson of the Board of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Inc. who tackled the Mindanao Development Corridor and the island’s status as the country’s food basket and prime producer of production raw materials.
 
Professor Richard Heydarian from the academe talked about the pillars of DuterteNomics under international context and environment.
 
Former Secretary Cielito Habito, reactor of DuterteNomics, ended the session by citing the imperatives for sustained growth, such as high infrastructure spending, easing of investment restrictions, and reduction of regulatory burden and imperatives for inclusive development, such as concerted micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME) promotion and support and investments in human development and social protection. 
 
The DuterteNomics Forum was attended by more than 200 participants from the government, diplomatic community, private business sector and members of the media. ### PCO-Content
From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella –  On the First Quarter 2017 SWS Survey

PRESERVING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FILIPINOS

Seventy-eight per cent (78%), a great majority of Filipinos, expressed satisfaction in the government’s performance, notwithstanding the negative criticisms we received here and abroad.

Many Filipinos are less worried about their personal safety; as they feel safe and secure in the streets and at home.
We note that the public (at 70%) believes the current administration is serious about solving the problem of so called “extrajudicial killings” (EJKs); and its efforts to cleanse the Philippine National Police (PNP) of scalawags.

Filipinos understand and support the campaign against hard drug traffickers and violators.  The drive will be relentless until the drug apparatus is rendered inutile; after all what is at stake is the national patrimony, the following generations of Filipinos, who will not only continue our dreams, be our God given social safety net, but also preserve our cultures, our gift to the world.
Duterte to hold bilateral meet with Bolkiah, Widodo

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will welcome next week Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia for a formal bilateral meeting.

In a press briefing in Malacañang on April 19, Wednesday, ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council (NOC) director general for operations Marciano Paynor said the meeting with the Brunei leader will be held on April 28 and on April 29 with the Indonesian leader.

Laos has also requested to pay a courtesy call to Duterte, according to Paynor. He said President Duterte may have “pull-aside” meetings with the other leaders.

At the same time, President Widodo will join President Duterte at the launching of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung Ro-Ro sea linkage route on April 30 in Davao.

President Duterte will hold a gala dinner for all the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders.

The 10 leaders will also meet at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and will have a retreat at the Coconut Palace.

In terms of security preparations, Paynor said the government is beefing up security elements following the recent incident in Bohol where soldiers clashed with members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

“So we try as much as we can to — so-called hardened tar — hardened venues et cetera, in our security preparations. Keeping in mind also the President’s directive that we should not hamper or hinder the normal flow of daily activities here in the Metro Manila area,” he said.

In the same briefing, acting Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said the recent visit of President Duterte to three Gulf states ended on a high note as he brought home with him millions of dollars worth of investments.

He said the President witnessed the signing of over $925 million worth of investment deals involving businessmen from Saudi, Bahrain and Qatar, which are expected to create 62,000 jobs here in the country.

During the same briefing, the Palace welcomed the result of the Deloitte’s 2017 millennial survey conducted by one of the leading professional services firms in the country, Navarro Amper & Co., which showed that 89 percent of Filipino millennials expect improvement in the country’s overall economic situation in the next 12 months.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella noted that this is significantly higher than the global average of 45 percent and regional average of 53 percent.

The survey, where 8,000 millennials from 30 countries participated, also showed that 84 percent of Filipino millennials have expressed a positive outlook on the country’s social and political situation, higher than the global average of 36 percent.

Abella also announced a recent report done by the world’s leading mid-market business survey, Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), which showed that Philippine business leaders are among the most optimistic business leaders in the world, gaining a rate of 98 percent and placing the country in second place next to Indonesia.

This is 18 percentage points higher than the 80 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016 and also the highest level gained by the Philippines since 2003, Abella said.

The results of the survey reflected the sentiments of 2,400 business leaders in 36 economies. ### (PND)
President Duterte offers 1 million reward for capture of Abu Sayyaf bandits
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, April 19, said he is offering one million reward for the immediate arrest of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members who are still hiding in Bohol province.

“I have a one million offer per person ako. Tip lang ibigay mo sa pulis pati military, no questions asked, do not even give your name, sabi mo lang kung saan sila at gobyerno na ang bahala,” President Duterte told reporters in a chance interview in Tagbilaran, Bohol following a security briefing on the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

He said he has ordered the military and police to “finish the game” and hunt down all ASG bandits who clashed with government forces last week.

He noted that there are still about six bandits scouring the mountains of Bohol.

The Chief Executive also assured the public that his government is doing its best to curb terrorism and prevent the ASG from reaching other places in the country.

“I said we are doing our best. The Army is here, the place is secured. We have more than enough officers to fight for one year if need be. So you are safe,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Duterte said all is set to host world leaders for the upcoming ASEAN Summit.

“So matagal na ‘yan pinilano. It’s been in the books for — alam na namin ‘yung mga events na darating. It has been prepared a long time ago,” he said.

As for the plans of the University of the Philippines (UP) to offer an honorary degree for Duterte, the President said he is not inclined to accept it adding that he is not used to accepting rewards.

“With due respect sa University of the Philippines, I do not accept even when I was mayor… As a matter of personal and official policy, I do not accept awards. Wala sa pagkatao ko,” he said. ### (PND)