President Aquino says country could become ‘first-world’ under his policies

BenignoAquinoAPEC
Philippine’s President Benigno Aquino III

President Aquino said last week that “the best is yet to come for the Philippines,” even going as far as claim that the country could easily be a “First-World” status if his policies were pursued.

“Even our harshest critics cannot deny that we have finished projects that have been promised for generations,” Aquino said during the 41st Philippine Business Conference held at Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

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Aquino highlighted that he tripled infrastructure budgets since taking office.

“The numbers do not lie: under the (straight path) administration, the infrastructure budget has more than tripled. In 2010, we inherited an infrastructure budget of 165 million pesos. This has increased to 570 billion pesos  in 2015,” he said.

The President said that this simply means that budget infrastructure “stand at around four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that has grown at quite a nice and respectable pace, and we intend to have it reach five per cent by next year.”

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Aquino also credited the overflowing infrastructure projects under his administration to the efficient public-private partnerships that he signed to “get big-ticket projects done.”

Excited about the bullish economy that he will be leaving behind, Aquino also revealed the partnership between the departments of tourism and public works and highways to develop 463 “tourism roads.”

“We have progressed at such a quick pace that (DPWH) Secretary Babes Singson now likes to joke that there is no waterfall in the Philippines that does not have a road leading to it,” he said.

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The country’s GDP grew by an average of 6.2 per cent for the past five years under Aquino’s administration, touted as the “fastest five-year average growth in nearly four decades.”

“From 2010 to 2014, we increased our net foreign direct investments almost six-fold. We recorded the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. Above all, we have regained the respect of the international community – from being ‘The Sick Man of Asia’ to being ‘Asia’s New Darling,”’ Aquino stressed.

Still, others believe the administration is knee-deep in corruption and has covered-up much of the ilicit doings by handing out contracts to dubious companies throughout the country.

As for the “First-Class” country rating, one has to believe  that Noy, his children, and their children will never see the likes of any first-world notation associated with the Philippines.

Source – Philstar.com – story by – Delon Porcalla

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