More Related Content Similar to Vice president jejomar c. binay speech during the opening ceremony of the 38th philippine business conference, fiesta pavilion, manila hotel, 9 october 2012, 10 a (20) More from raissarobles (20) 1. You are here:
Home (/) Speeches (/index.php/10speeches)
Tweet 0 0 Share 0
Topic: “Governance as Stimulus to Economic Growth”
It is my pleasure to join the Philippine Chambers of Commerce and Industry to usher in the 38th Philippine
Business Conference and Expo. I am particularly pleased to see friends from shores both distant and close here
with us today.
I would like to personally extend the country’s warmest welcome to our guests from Russia, Turkey, Oman,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Iraq, among others, who have shown interest in investing in various sectors in our
country. Our government looks forward to deeper relationships between all of our nations, and it is my hope that
Share 0Like
(/index.php/20140501003249/latestnews/37vpbinayreiteratescallforsalary
standardization)
(/index.php/20140501003249/vpinaction/40vpinactionarticle1)
3 of 4
(http://www.gov.ph)
2. this conference will give you a frontrow view of the Philippines as a viable investment destination. Thank you for
your invitation.
I am also elated to learn that a memorandum of understanding between the chambers of commerce of the
Philippines and Oman will be signed, pledging regular exchange between the business delegations of both
countries. This is, indeed, a very promising synergy, one which I urge the other foreign delegations to examine
and pursue as an instrument for cementing mutually beneficial economic ties.
We convene at a time when the currents of economic uncertainty that have swept the West have yet to fully
recede. As the business communities and governments from the Western world look to emerging markets such as
Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia for more tranquil waters, we are privileged to present where the Philippines is
and what it can offer to satisfy investment appetites.
The Aquino administration has done much to plot a socially equitable course of governance, and the strong multi
stakeholder approach that typifies its work ensures that the country stays on an even keel. But as we build on the
successes of the reforms that we immediately put in place early in this government’s term, we remain well aware
and firmly committed to raising the bar that we measure ourselves against.
The Philippines has been registering a significant increase in credit ratings and confidence levels in the leading
development bodies, particularly Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s. There is widespread confidence that an
investment grade status is already within reach and already, in the first half of 2012, the Philippines recorded an
increase in real GDP by 6.1%.
Political reforms have in great part made these strides possible. Old specters such as corruption, human rights
abuses and electoral fraud have been cast out through the political will exerted by the current leadership. In this
crusade towards equitable and just development, the Filipino people continue to bestow the highest trust in
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, who to this day is free from the taint or suggestion of corruption, and those
of us who occupy the highest positions of national leadership.
The President’s hardline stance on issues has fueled the Filipino people’s faith that all they aspire to is indeed
within reach. This focused and uncompromising approach in tackling the hard issues that the Philippines faces is
our bond with countries who seek to be our partners in economic development. Part of our ethos is the
cornerstone belief of minimized intervention by government in the business sector, while maximizing the gains of
growth by translating the influx of resources to socially beneficial goods and services such as health, education,
and mass housing.
In my own capacity as housing czar, good governance carries great weight in making the vision of providing 3.6
million houses to Filipino families a tangible reality. To be able to complete this goal, nothing less than a nation
wide collaboration between all the stakeholders is necessary to succeed. Besides engaging private sector
players, strengthening the ability of all local governments to implement proper zoning and land use is crucial so
that the gains from the land are maximized.
As well, the symphony between government and private sector finance institutions must be arranged so that the
entire effort gains proper velocity both from the development and purchaser angles.
3. With an effective land use plan instituted on a national scale, longstanding problems such as traffic management,
responsible industrialization, and sustainable clean environments can be resolved and the seeds for countrywide
modernization can sprout. Informal settlements that are located along danger zones can likewise be addressed
and their residents be given credible chances to live dignified and productive lives.
No less than the World Bank has recognized our efforts at improving the lives of our fellow citizens through the
provision of housing in an efficient, transparent and multisectoral way. At the moment, we at the housing sector,
along with the said financial body, are formulating the National Informal Settlements Upgrading Strategy or NISUS
that will be used to create a comprehensive shelter plan for informal settler families.
The shelter plan will ensure that informal settler families will have access to basic social services such as schools,
public markets, health care centers, and livelihood opportunities at the resettlement areas.
Meanwhile, as head of the country’s antihuman trafficking body, I have had the privilege of overseeing the
Philippines’ steady progress against the benchmarks set by the global community.
We have earned praise from the US State Department for these timely achievements, but equally important, our
efforts have helped ensure that our technical and funding synergies with foreign governments continue unabated.
The sum of our progress is not lost on our brothers who have left for foreign shores to find work or build new lives.
Firm changes in the political realm have made them the first to invest in their homeland. Apart from the
remittances that they send unfailingly, they are looking hard at putting their money into businesses that deserve
their patronage.
In my recent trip to Iran for the meeting of the NonAligned Movement, for example, I was indeed pleased to
speak with Filipino women married to Iranian nationals who were interested in putting their money back home.
I have assured them that I would bring their clamor regarding the issues they had presented to me, to the
attention of the President, and I am supremely confident that His Excellency and I are one in wishing to find a
suitable avenue for their patriotism and love.
My friends,
I have provided a broad view of the landscape we see before us. The hues are indeed rosy and I am sure you are
most eager to see the details that give this picture its richness. Over the course of three days, you will be
apprised of the state and nuances of the Philippine economy. You will see the strokes that government and the
private sector have painted into this living opus. It is a work which all are welcome to help complete and I pray
that before this conference adjourns, the vision will entice all to lend their colors and hands to this canvass.
During the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl incident, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said that, “The duty of
government is to tell its people the truth. One must admit that the government did not always behave in the right
way.” We have embraced this noble duty and have made amends for whatever the past has bestowed on us.
Here today, it is my distinct honor and pride to say that the Philippines is a sound investment destination and it is
my hope that our businessmen and yours can forge strong prosperous ties in the coming days.
