President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved on Thursday three priority projects to improve the lives of Filipinos.
“The draft minutes of the 14th NEDA Board meeting held 27 February 2024 are approved,” President Marcos, who chairs the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, said in a meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Thursday.
The first agenda is the request for revision of the approved parameters, terms, and conditions of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) Cancer Center Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project.
On the other hand, the two other agenda are the NEDA Board-Investment Coordination Committee Guidelines on the Review and Approval of National PPP Proposals, and the Basic Education Plan 2030 and MATATAG Agenda of the DepEd.
In approving the first agenda, President Marcos said it is important to ensure that it will be able to take in patients and use the facilities of the hospital.
“As a PPP, it seems to be good. I mean, it’s a major change from the original, but if the viability of the project maintains then I think, it will be, it’s a reasonable change to make as along as we can – it’s still, as I said, economically viable both for the government and for the private sector,” President Marcos said.
President Marcos also highlighted the importance of the second proposal, or the NEDA Board-Investment Coordination Committee Guidelines on the Review and Approval of National PPP Proposals as he emphasized that it does not see any policy changes in the things that the government is doing now.
“I think, in fact, in my view, it’s necessary to do this if we are going to comply with our own rules and regulations, and with our own internal rules and regulations. So yes, I think that it is a pretty straightforward unless anyone else has some questions concerning this,” the President said.
As to the Education Development Plan 2030 and the “MATATAG Agenda” of the DepEd, President Marcos did not raise any objection as he emphasized that the NEDA Board approved them “as a national policy and plan for basic education in the Philippines”.
Vice President Sara Duterte, as Education Secretary, was present during the meeting and presented the Education Development Plan 2030 and the “MATATAG Agenda” before members of the NEDA board chaired by President Marcos. PND
