Since the Philippine Independence from American Regime in the year 1946,

administrations that led the country laid out their own version of a blueprint that was supposed to
provide solutions to problems faced by the nation, and bring a better life to every Filipino. The
same, exact step was taken by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his cabinet in the form of the
Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 (PDP). PDP 2017-2022 is the administration’s answer
to overarching struggles regarding poverty, unemployment rate, economic incompetence, and a
high level of government distrust by the citizens. However, the most pressing question that
remains unanswered is what sets PDP apart from plans of previous administrations that tend to
short-deliver? How is it different to be able to attain its promises, and serve Filipinos the life that
they wanted?
 
Upon detailed and careful examination, PDP 2017-2022 appears to be a viable and well-
structured plan that will provide Filipino people the life they envisioned in the future as it is
derived from the addressed pivotal weaknesses of the nation, with international guidelines as its
main framework, and comprehensive course of implementation. It aims to reduce poverty
drastically, with an anticipated numerical decrease of 7.6 percent in 7 years, from 21.6 percent in
2015 to 14.0 percent by 2022 (NEDA, 2018). This rate accounts for about 6 million Filipino
people getting out of poverty. A few of its main objectives are, to inculcate resiliency to
individuals and communities by reducing exposure to imminent risks, alleviating the impacts of
these risks, and improving the capability to accelerate recovery when risks transpire (NEDA,
2018). PDP recognizes the importance of laying down a robust foundation of development to
have sustainable progress, instead of formulating appendage to have short-term solutions to
problems. Aside from stating the projects and strategies, it also articulated crucial elements of the
plan in a complex and profound way, such as a source of budget, and a way of monitoring
success.
 
PDP 2017-2022 is also the first of its kind to have an inclination with the long-term goals
of the nation and to take into account established international guidelines in outlining the
framework of the program. According to World Economic Survey (2010), mutual preservation
and motivation between people and government are important for successful development
programs. Taking into account people’s aspirations in making development plans will probably
mean cooperation of every individual down to the lowest sector of society as it concurs with their
personal objectives in life, thus increasing the degree of goals’ feasibility. International
commitments of the country such as 2030 SDG are important elements to consider as well as
they will keep the country in step with other developing nations. It also provides a strategy to
achieve total inclusion which most certainly is a necessity for a country with more than 20
percent of poverty cases recorded. It pledged to leave no one behind while reaching the furthest
behind first (2030 SDG, 2015).
 
PDP 2017-2022 is a comprehensive plan, intended to impose rudiments of a strong
foundation of development through major investment in Science, Technology, and Innovation
(STI), as well as Research and Development (RD). STI is the driving mechanism of development
as technological and scientific revolutions underpin economic advances, improvements in health
systems, education, and infrastructure (Chetty, 2012). 
 
 With the purpose of contending and keeping up with the level of STI in other nations,
PDP 2017-2022 promotes commercialization and utilization of technologies from the public- and
private-funded research and development. It also encourages more innovative financing
mechanisms and private sector investments for supporting STI-based start-ups, enterprises, and
spin-offs that will speed-up the process of growth. Vested interests in RD, as well as STI, will
strengthen the foundation of development in the country. It will result in a nation that portrays
timely and advanced technological capabilities in different fields that will help in enabling more
resilient individuals, and communities. Such actions could also lead to the decrease of the
poverty rate in the country as it will provide opportunities to have more available jobs in the
industrial and agricultural sectors. 
 
Aside from general guide such as Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, the
Philippine government must also emphasize the formulation of development plans according to
locality’s resources and needs, and should not assume that a similar course of action is applicable
anywhere else of the country when it comes to attaining development. What government tends to
overlook in the process of outlining development plans and programs is the context of problems
being faced by marginalized cities and towns. Lack of appropriateness in the projects executed
by the government in specific places brought minimal effect, or worst, none at all. In agricultural
provinces, instead of strengthening and developing methods of farming, industrialization was
introduced. As a result, citizens’ interest shifted to different industry and left sector that produces
the food-needs of the country. The paradigm of successful development is always dependent on
the emerging technology derived from available resources. This was seen even in prehistoric
times. From stone tools and materials, bronze emerge and then iron. A person who seemed to
lack of assets to reach his/her dreams could surpass the expectations of society by properly
utilizing all the resources he/she could access. The same principle applies in the aspect of
development, the probability of attaining goals is directly related to the way government will
make use of its resources.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

National Economic Development Authority, (2018). Philippine development plan. Retrieved from
http://pdp.neda.gov.ph.
World Economic Survey, (2010). Appraisal of targets and progress in developing countries. New
York.
Chetty, L. (2012). The role of Science and technology in the developing world in the 21st
century. Retrieved from https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/print/6596.