governance – Page 78 – Author Carlo Carrasco

House of Representatives approve Marcos-backed VAT refund for outbound foreign tourists bill on 3rd and final reading

March 13, 2023March 7, 2023carlocarrasco

It looks like the Philippines will make a major step forward in the highly competitive field of tourism as the House of Representatives recently approved on 3^rd and final reading the proposal on granting Value Added Tax (VAT) refund for outbound tourists, according to a GMA Network news report. The newly approved bill is a measure backed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

Having been to Israel recently, I noticed that the VAT refunds for foreign tourists who are about to leave the country is the norm.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news article. Some parts in boldface…

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill granting Value Added Tax (VAT) refund for outbound tourists, a bill backed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

House Bill 7292 earned 304 “yes” votes, four “no” votes, and zero abstention.

Under the proposed measure, tourists will be eligible for a VAT refund on goods purchased from accredited retailers in the Philippines as long as such goods are taken out of the country within 60 days from the date of purchase and the value of goods purchased per transaction amounts to at least P3,000.

The bill also authorizes the Secretary of Finance to adjust the P3,000 threshold, taking into account the following indicators: administration costs in processing refunds; consumer price index; and other market conditions, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Tourism and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

“This measure [is being passed] to adopt best practices in VAT refund schemes among Asia Pacific tourism destinations and expand the country’s competitiveness among its peers and neighboring countries,” the committee report on the measure read.

The bill defines a “tourist” as a foreign passport holder who is a non-resident individual not engaged in trade or business in the Philippines.

House ways and means panel chairperson Representative Joey Salceda earlier said the measure will generate P10 billion to P40 billion worth of increased sales for local suppliers.

Salceda was one of the principal authors of the measure, alongside House ways and means panel vice chairperson Mikaela Suansing of Nueva Ecija who chaired the technical working group drafting amendments to the original proposed bill.

“Generally, for every P1 refunded, the tourist spends an additional 1.5 pesos. That will create an additional twenty to eighty thousand jobs, and will also improve our gross international reserves,” Salceda said.

The above report ended stating that the newly approved measure was recommended to the Marcos administration by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), a group composed of business leaders and industry experts providing technical advice to the President. Take note that last year, the Philippines attracted over 2.6 million foreign tourists and generated P200 billion worth of tourism revenue.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the newly approved measure will pass in the Philippine Senate soon? Do you think the measure will make the Philippines more competitive in international tourism?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City’s Raul Corro elected as Philippine Councilors League (PCL) national chairman

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023carlocarrasco

The highly progressive city of Muntinlupa is in the spotlight once more as incumbent City Councilor Raul Corro got elected as the national chairman of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. It should be noted that Corro, who has an established record of public service in Muntinlupa, was endorsed for the leadership post.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Councilor Raul Corro was elected national chairman of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), the association of municipal and city councilors.

Corro was endorsed to the position by leaders such as outgoing president Jose Nelson Tata Sala, former national chairman Alan Zulueta, former president Luis Chavit Singson, and various other groups and regional leagues.

“We join the Sangguniang Panlungsod and the rest of the City in offering our warmest congratulations to Atty. Corro, a true-blue Muntinlupeño who is a model of public service. We are truly proud of you,” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon.

Corro is credited by the PCL National Board for the approval of the law granting professional eligibility to Sanggunian members who are college students and who have completed three elected terms in office but have not yet taken the Civil Service examinations.

He is also recognized as responsible for the granting of salary step increments to elected officials. This benefit was previously limited to appointed officials in government service.

Prior to his unopposed election as national chairman, Corro served the 17,000-member PCL as chairman of the Advocacy Committee and regional chairman for the National Capital Region (NCR).

In the last five local elections, Corro has consistently been ranked the top councilor in Muntinlupa, where he is currently the majority floor leader.

The above report ended stating that the City Council of Muntinlupa approved unanimously a resolution recognizing Corro.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted to learn about Corro’s election as national chairman of the PCL? What do you hope to see from the PCL under Corro’s leadership?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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President Marcos says special powers not needed to curb inflation

March 7, 2023March 1, 2023carlocarrasco

In recent times, inflation has been strong in the Philippines and no less than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) confirmed this as it made its February 2023 inflation forecast. In relation to the high inflation, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos stressed that special powers are not needed to combat inflation, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

There is no need to ask for special powers to ease inflation, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday, noting that several interventions are already in place to manage the prices of basic commodities.

Marcos made the remark a day after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the country’s headline inflation could surpass the 9 percent level in February because of high prices of cooking gas and key food items.

“I do not think that it is necessary to ask for special powers,” he said in a chance interview on the sidelines of an event at the Rizal Park, when asked if he is considering asking Congress to grant him special powers to curb inflation.

“I already have the power to declare an emergency and to control the prices of commodities. So, I don’t think there’s any need for more than that. That is efficient,” he added.

On Tuesday, the BSP said the inflation rate in February may fall within the range of 8.5 to 9.3 percent, citing the upside risks from higher prices of cooking gas and food items such as pork, fish, egg, and sugar.

Despite the BSP’s latest forecast, Marcos remained bullish that consumer prices would go down, saying his administration is exhausting all efforts to boost the supply of agricultural products.

“The other elements of inflation hindi natin masyado ma-control, kaya meron tayong ginagawang ganito para makabawi naman doon sa pagtaas ng presyo (We could not control the other elements of inflation, that’s why we are making a way to address the rise in prices of basic commodities),” he said.

Several lawmakers, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, have expressed openness to granting Marcos special powers to curtail inflation.

In January, inflation accelerated further to 8.7 percent from 8.1 percent posted in December 2022.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you confident that the national authorities have what it takes to ease inflation without granting the President special powers? Do you see the current inflation as a temporary problem or as a longer lasting problem?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Government commended by Anti-Red Tape agency for simplifying business permit and licensing procedures

March 2, 2023February 24, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive city of Muntinlupa, the City Government of Muntinlupa was commended by Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) over the simplifying of business permits and licensing procedures, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government received a commendation from a national government agency for simplifying business permit and license procedures.

Mayor Ruffy Biazon received the commendation for the city government’s Electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBOSS) initiative from the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) under the Office of the President.

In a letter addressed to Biazon, ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said “we would like to convey our appreciation and commendation to the City Government of Muntinlupa as one of the LGUs that simplified business permit application, addressed systemic issues in the local permits and licenses, and introduced reforms and technology-enabled applications and systems that paved way to a seamless and efficient process.”

The eBOSS is one of the centerpiece initiatives of the City Government, bringing together all the necessary permits and licensing offices in one location, and since the pandemic, now can be done online. Aspiring and existing entrepreneurs can now apply for a business license without having to visit the city hall.

The BOSS program has been considered one of Muntinlupa’s best practices, with local government units visiting the City to learn first-hand about it. The pandemic, with physical-distancing a necessity, eventually paved the way for the original BOSS program to go digital.

“We applaud the City Government for setting the standards among the cities and municipalities. It is our hope that the City Government will continue what it has started and even exceed what was previously accomplished for the continuous realization of the ease of doing business in the Philippines. Again, congratulations on your significant contribution in the country!” Perez told Biazon.

After monitoring eBOSS, Perez said the Muntinlupa City government “has successfully implemented all functionalities in setting-up the Electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBOSS) required by the law and as further stated in ARTA-DTI-DILG-DICT Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2021 or the ‘Guidelines for Processing Business Permits, Related Clearances and Licenses in All Cities and Municipalities.’”

“The said implementation of all functionalities initiated by the [Muntinlupa] City Government, backed up with significant results set the LGU as a model city where various cities and municipalities have been using as benchmark in their own business permit system,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? If you are a local business owner or manager, how would you describe your experience of getting your business license in the city? Does ARTA’s commendation to Muntinlupa make you feel more confident about the local business permit and licensing procedures?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Oxford Economics says Philippine economic growth will slow down to 4.1% this year

February 28, 2023February 23, 2023carlocarrasco

For Oxford Economics, the economy of the Philippines will achieve continued growth in 2023 but with a notable slow down to 4.1%, according to a BusinessWorld news report. Oxford Economics mentioned in its statement factors like the global economy entering recession, inflation and the lack of impact from China’s reopening.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the BusinessWorld news article. Some parts in boldface…

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC GROWTH is expected to slow to 4.1% this year, as external headwinds and elevated inflation are seen to dampen domestic demand, Oxford Economics said.

“After registering respectable growth of 7.6% in 2022, we expect the Philippines’ economy to slow to 4.1% amid global headwinds, elevated inflation, and a fading reopening boost. With monetary tightening set to continue, the economy could use a hand from the fiscal side, but chances are slim,” Makoto Tsuchiya, assistant economist at Oxford Economics, said in a research note released on Wednesday.

Oxford Economics’ gross domestic product (GDP) projection is well below the government’s 6-7% target.

It expects GDP to expand by 4.5% next year, still outside the 6.5-8% target set by the government.

“We expect GDP growth to slow materially amid softer external demand as the global economy enters a recession, led by weakness in major advanced economies. We don’t think China’s reopening will be enough to offset this weakness, with the recovery in private consumption there likely to be lackluster,” Mr. Tsuchiya said.

There is a widely anticipated global recession this year, with the World Bank projecting global growth to slow to 1.7%.

Rising inflation is also seen to “substantially” slow the Philippine economy, Mr. Tsuchiya said.

In January, inflation soared to a 14-year high of 8.7%, marking the 10th consecutive month inflation was above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2-4% target range.

The central bank also raised its average inflation forecast to 6.1% this year from 4.5% previously.

Oxford Economics said that the BSP will continue to hike rates to tame inflation and keep in step with the US Federal Reserve.

“Elevated inflation means policy makers will not be able to react by lowering interest rates. Indeed, we expect tightening to continue for at least the next two meetings, albeit at a slower pace — in contrast to other Asian central banks who can afford to pause,” Mr. Tsuchiya said.

Oxford Economics also cited the lack of policy support as a factor contributing to slower growth this year.

“We think significant support is unlikely given limited policy space on both the monetary and fiscal front. Ideally, fiscal policy would take over the burden of supporting growth. But debt accumulated during the pandemic era means the focus is instead on fiscal consolidation,” Mr. Tsuchiya said, noting that the Philippine government may adopt a more restrained approach in spending.

Oxford Economics expects the budget deficit will reach 2.7% of GDP by 2028, better than the 3% projection given by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

The government projects the fiscal deficit to hit 6.9% of GDP or around P1.5 trillion this year. In the 11 months to November, the budget deficit shrank by 7.2% to P1.24 trillion.

However, Oxford Economics said the debt-to-GDP ratio may remain elevated at 61.1% by 2025. This is higher than the 60% target set by the government in the same period.

The country ended last year with a debt stock at 60.9%, better than the 63.7% seen in end-September but still above the 60% threshold considered manageable by multilateral lenders for developing economies.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Oxford Economics’ prediction about 4.1% economic growth for the Philippines this year will turn out to be true? Do you think Oxford Economics made a strong case explaining why economic growth in 2023 will be smaller for the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Alleged ghost employees within the Parañaque City Government an issue

February 1, 2023January 29, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Parañaque, the issue of so-called ghost employees was raised as the City Government moved to review personnel records to find them and determine where exactly the funds from the city budget went, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Parañaque city government will conduct a thorough review of personnel records to weed out “ghost employees” who have been eating a huge portion of the city’s budget.

Mayor Eric Olivarez ordered on Sunday, Jan 29, the review after noticing discrepancies in the number of personnel being reported by the Human Resource Management Office and different departments, as well as in the records of the City Budget Office.

Olivarez said the personnel review will be conducted by a committee to be headed by the city administrator, Atty. Voltaire dela Cruz.

“We suspect that this racket has probably been going on for a long time, perhaps decades,” said Olivarez.

The mayor said he became suspicious because when he assumed office, he was told that there are more than 8,000 city hall employees.

The number was later reduced to around 7,600, but no final number has been submitted to him up to now.

Olivarez said he became curious after all the department heads were ordered to submit the list of their employees who are physically working.

The city government then observed a noticeable increase in the number of supposed employees who have voluntary dropped from the rolls.

The mayor added that when he assumed the post only last July, after serving as congressman for nine years and, before that, as city councilor, he ordered all workers to remain in their posts, and that no rank-and-file employees were terminated as a show of goodwill and to establish a healthy working relationship.

This year, however, he decided to order all offices and departments to submit their personnel list to reduce redundancies and trim bureaucratic fat so that more resources can be allocated to other programs and services that will directly benefit the constituents.

“It turns out that we found a lot of discrepancies, so we decided to find out the truth because this is our responsibility to our people,” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you think that the City Government really has a lot of so-called ghost employees? How much money from the City Government’s budget do you think went to those ghost employees? What do you think caused ghost employees in the first place? Do you think this could become a major crisis for Parañaque?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Last tranche of salary increase for Muntinlupa City government employees announced

January 24, 2023January 23, 2023carlocarrasco

In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon announced the last tranche of salary increases for City Government employees, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The raise of the salaries is in accordance to law and it will take effect very soon.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon announced on Jan. 23 that city government employees will get their salary increases by the end of the month.

This is based on Republic Act 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law of 2019.

The fourth and last tranche of the salary increases for qualified government employees took effect on Jan. 1, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The first tranche of the salary increase took effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

“Good news para po sa kawani ng pamahalaan. Pagdating po ng katapusan ng buwang ito ay pai-implement na ang fourth tranche ng Salary Standardization Law (Good newas for employees of the government. By the end of this month, the fourth tranche of the Salary Standardization Law will be implemented),” said Biazon during the flag raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City hall on Jan. 23.

Under RA 11466, the monthly salary of a government employee under Salary Grade 1 will increase to P13,000 (under Step 1 level) in the fourth tranche compared to P11,551 in the first tranche.

“The government recognizes the indispensable role of its dedicated personnel in serving our beloved country. We are firmly committed to help them amidst rising prices of goods and services. We hope this latest salary increase will cushion the impact of inflation,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

According to DBM, RA 11466 covers all positions for civilian personnel, whether regular, casual, or contractual in nature, appointive or elective, full-time or part-time, now existing or created in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices; state universities and colleges (SUCs); and government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) not covered by RA 10149.

The law also applies to all positions for salaried LGU personnel, whether regular, contractual or casual in nature, elective or appointive; on full-time or part-time basis, now existing or thereafter created in LGUs, and all positions for barangay personnel which are paid monthly honoraria, the DBM added.

Excluded under the law are those engaged without employer-employee relationship and funded from non-Personnel Services (PS) appropriations/budgets.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? As a local resident, do you think the salary hike for City Government employees is justified?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippine government sees economy growing around 6.5% for 2023

January 23, 2023January 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Even though HSBC and the World Bank revealed their own 2023 economic growth forecasts for the Philippines to be below 6%, the national government still sees the economy growing around 6.5% this year, according to a recent Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine government expects a strong full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2022, most likely much faster than its growth target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno said here on Jan. 16 (Switzerland time).

Diokno said this during a Monday luncheon hosted for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Philippine chief executive officers (CEOs) in Davos, Switzerland.

In addition, Diokno said the Philippine economy is seen to “grow by around 6.5 percent this year” due to the expected slowdown of the global economy.

“And that’s still one of the highest, if not the highest, growth projection in the Asia-Pacific Region,” he said.

According to Diokno, the country’s bustling manufacturing sector, record-low unemployment, and stable and resilient banking system can alleviate buffers against external headwinds, all indicating a resilient economy.

Further, opening economic sectors to foreign equity, improving the ease of doing business, and allowing modern transformative industries to take root and grow will sustain the economy.

At the same time, the Finance chief said the Marcos government has created a more competitive and enabling environment through public-private partnership (PPP) to expand further the Build, Better, More infrastructure agenda of the administration.

Diokno said this would further boost investments on top of the government’s goal to spend at least five to six percent of GDP on infrastructure, stressing all these form the backbone for the rapid and sustained growth of the Philippines.

But because of the current challenges, he said the Philippines is taking the first steps toward launching the Maharlika Investment Fund, the country’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund that will support the goals set by the administration in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this new development? Do you believe that the Philippines’ economic fundamentals are strong enough to keep the economy growing around 6.5% this year? Do you think that the tourism industry alone will be a major driving force of economic growth and earning foreign currency? Apart from the announced Maharlika Investment Fund (sovereign wealth fund) new economic initiatives do you want to see from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Council declares German vlogger persona non grata

January 17, 2023January 16, 2023carlocarrasco

The City Council of Muntinlupa formally declared the arrested German vlogger “Mr. Pogi German” persona non grata over what they referred to as illegal and immoral acts pertaining to a viral video he uploaded in which he got himself involved with a lady (who claimed to be a minor and eventually filed a complaint against him) in Alabang, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. It should be noted that Mayor Ruffy Biazon made the call to have the foreign vlogger declared person non grata.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City Council has declared Marcel Messall, more popularly known as vlogger “Mr Pogi German,” persona non grata, or unwelcome, in the city for “illegal and immoral acts” after he uploaded a video picking up a woman who turned out to be minor in Alabang, bringing her to a motel, paying her, and kissing her.

Mr Pogi German uploaded the video titled “I’ve Met a 18 Years old Filipina Pick Up Girl from alabang Muntinlupa” (sic) on Jan. 7 on his Facebook account.

The video has gone viral, garnering 14 million views, more than 23,000 shares, 31,000 comments, and 360,000 reactions from netizens.

The girl, who turned out to be 17 years old, a minor, has filed a complaint for rape against Messall (also listed as Messal by the Muntinlupa police).

The Muntinlupa police arrested Messall, 29, on Jan. 9 in Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal based on the complaint of the victim.

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon urged the City Council to declare Messall persona non grata in the city for his acts.

In a resolution approved on Jan. 16, the Muntinlupa City Council declared Messall unwelcome in the city.

According to the resolution, Muntinlupa police chief Supt. Angel Garcillano “submitted its fact-finding report to the City Council on the vlog of a certain ‘Mr. Pogi German’ which went viral in social media.”

“The said foreigner produced a video showing him talking with a minor Filipina resident of Muntinlupa City in front of Sogo Motel along the National Road in Barangay Alabang and solicited sexual intercourse from her in the amount of Five Hundred Pesos (P500) and proceeded to check in in the said motel,” the resolution added.

It said a complaint for violation of Republic Act 8353 (Anti-Rape Law of 1997) in relation to Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act of 1992) “will be filed before the Prosecutor’s Office of Muntinlupa City for preliminary investigation and for filing of cases in court if the evidence so warrants.”

“Based on the police report and also the content of the vlog produced and circulated in social media by Mr. Marcel Messal, the action and behavior of this German national deserve to be condemned as he insults and degrades not only his minor victim but also all the women and the entire residents of Muntinlupa City,” the resolution stated.

It said, “Whereas, the City Mayor himself has recommended to the City Council to declare Mr. Marcel Messal persona non grata for his illegal and immoral acts.”

“The City Council is one with the City Mayor in condemning this German national and declaring him persona non grata will send a strong signal to others that we do not tolerate such illegal and immoral activities in the City of Muntinlupa,” the approval resolution added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development. As a local resident, did you find the German vlogger’s video of his time with the girl in Alabang very embarrassing to the city? Do you want to see the arrested German vlogger deported and banned permanently from visiting the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Marcos reiterates vow to upgrade Philippine transport system

January 13, 2023January 9, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., reiterated his vow to improve the transport system of the entire nation which can benefit many people who need to travel, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. This is similar to what his predecessor declared before.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday reiterated his vow to continue upgrading the country’s transport system to relieve commuters of their daily ordeal due to traffic congestion.

“We will continue to invest and improve our transportation system as well as pursue more projects in the years to come so that Filipinos can gain greater access to places of work, commerce, recreation, and other vital areas,” Marcos said in his speech during the launch of the Metro Manila Subway Project’s (MMSP) tunnel boring machine (TBM) at its depot in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City.

“Having an effective and efficient transportation system will have multiplier effects on employment, the economy, our society, it will bring comfort, convenience, an easier life for all,” he added.

Marcos said developments on the country’s first subway system in the country allow Filipinos to look forward to “better days” as it would also spur economic development and job creation.

He thanked both the public and private sectors for working to ensure the realization of what he described as an “ambitious” endeavor.

In particular, he expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for being active partners in the fulfillment of the Philippine infrastructure program.

According to Marcos, the Philippines would not have fulfilled its many infrastructure projects without the assistance of JICA.

“This tunnel boring machine highlights Japan’s expertise and technology and trailblazing contributions in the modern world and thus I am confident that they will help us shape our railway infrastructure and keep them at par with the highest international standards,” he said.

He acknowledged the joint venture of Filipino and Japanese companies for working with the Philippine government on the Metro Manila Subway Projects Contract Package 101 and expressed hope it would be completed on time.

“I hope that both of you and the DOTR will not waiver on your commitment to finish the contract package by the end of 2027 to ensure that Filipinos will get to enjoy the project at the soonest possible time,” he said.

Marcos likewise sought their continued patience, trust, and support, especially as big-ticket projects take years to complete.

“…Let the launching of this tunnel boring machine become a testament to this administration’s commitment to continue to projects of the previous administration and more importantly build better more,” he added.

He also described the launch of the TBM as “a very apt beginning” for a year with renewed vigor and commitment to his administration’s mission to improve the lives of Filipinos.

“We also gain inspiration from the selfless individuals who constantly strive to turn our vision for the transportation sector into a grand reality,” he said.

The PHP488.48 billion Metro Manila subway will stretch for about 33 kilometers across seven cities, from Valenzuela City to Pasay City, and will be able to serve over 519,000 passengers daily once completed.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you believe that the Metro Manila subway will make local travel more efficient? What new infrastructure projects do you think the country needs right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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