BALADAD, CHELSEA B

MAED, SOC STUD

COMPREHENSIVE 8-POINT AGENDA

1. Protect purchasing power and mitigate socioeconomic scarring

- Ensure food security
- Reduce transport and logistics costs
- Reduce energy cost to families

2. Reduce vulnerability and mitigate scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic

- Tackle health
- Strengthen social protection
- Address learning loss

3. Ensure sound macroeconomic fundamentals

- Enhance bureaucratic efficiency and sound fiscal management
- Ensure a resilient and innovative financial sector

4. Create more jobs

- Promote trade and investments
- Improve infrastructure
- Achieve energy security

5. Create quality jobs

- Increase employability
- Encourage R&D and innovation
- enhance the digital economy

6. Create green jobs

- Purse a green and blue economy
- Establish livable and sustainable communities

7. Uphold public order and safety, peace and security

8. Ensure a level playing field

- Strengthen market competition
- Reduce barriers to entry and limits to entrepreneurship

Through the 8-point socioeconomic agenda, the Marcos administration aims to bring down poverty to 9 percent by the
end of his six-year term and bring the Philippines to “upper-middle income” status by 2028.

It is also expected to lower by 9 percent the poverty incidence by 2028 and increase the number of middle-income
Filipinos.

The government’s goal is also to increase the gross domestic product growth rate from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for
2022 and by 8 percent by 2028.

The plan is guided by a systematic whole of government and whole of society and was developed through series
consultation with key stakeholders and general public.

It is geared toward the realization of the AmBisyon Natin 2040, the country’s long term vision for development.
The plan aims to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction through sustained and inclusive economic
growth.

“In the near term, the plan seeks to address the immediate challenges confronting the Filipino people—rising prices,
scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring sound macroeconomic fundamental

Over the medium term, the goal is to create more jobs. Not just ordinary jobs but quality jobs and green jobs. We will
achieve this goal through higher investments in infrastructure, human development, and digitalization,

It is the road map for change. It is agenda for change.

Reflection Paper: AMBISYON NATIN 2040

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) commissioned a nationwide study in2015 on the
aspirations, values, and principles of Filipino people with the intention of developing a long- term vision for the
Philippines which is anchored on a vision genuinely owned by its citizens. And with this study the AMBISYON
NATIN 2040 was crafted and envisioned.AMBISYON NATIN 2040 is a representation of the collective long-term vision
and aspirations of the Filipino people for themselves and for the country for the next twenty-five (25) years. It
describes the kind of life that people want to live, as well as how the country will look like by 2040. As such, it will
serve as an anchor for development planning across at least four (4) administration

As launched by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Ambisyon Natin
2040, the collective long-term visions and aspirations of the Filipino people, will be our nation’s guide for
the next 25 years in order to end poverty. Ambition Natin 2040 enumerates the people’s dreams for
themselves and the country which in summary states that “By 2040, the Philippines is a prosperous
middle-class society where no one is poor.” President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order on 11
October 2016 adopting this 25-year long-term vision for the country (Asian Development Bank, 2016).

Before I read the development plan, Ambisyon Natin 2040, I coincidentally bumped into a
YouTube video from a channel named Asian Boss which featured a story about Mama Rosita: The Cook
who Recycles Food from Garbage. As the title suggests, the video enclosed how “pagpag” (leftover fast-
food chicken) is recycled into some food and that is the only way for her to survive each day.
The next video that YouTube suggested, however, was a video from Harper's Bazaar entitled
These Are the Real 'Crazy Rich Asians’. Kevin Kwan, the author of the book Crazy Rich Asian, traveled to
meet these people like Heart Evangelista who can buy a million-peso bag and shoes (the cheapest) and
say that the deal was a steal.

These two videos opened my eyes to how big the gap of riches to rags is. People who were born
poor regardless of how much work they do, remain in the dumps of the country. It was very
heartbreaking to see people live off food straight from the garbage while others spend chunks of money
on something unnecessary. Thus, after reading Ambisyon Natin 2040, a glimmer of hope for the
oppressed shinned through me. It was a great vision that delivers chances of equality and development.
To be honest, I have mixed reactions about Ambisyon Natin 2040. The priority plans (education,
housing and urban development, etc.) for this vision are the sectors I think really need attention and
development. The Philippines is located near the equator which makes our land great for cultivation and
farming. But unfortunately, due to lack of financial and developmental support, it became one of the
poorest sectors. Thus, in my opinion, it is right to allocate much attention to agriculture, just like what
Ambisyon Natin 2040 prioritizes.

On the other hand, an underlying question was roaming around my mind, “Can we meet the
vision by 2040?” Development is not an all-nighter job, it requires time and effort not only to the
policymakers but also to us, the citizens. It takes years and even decades to achieve this goal, taking into
consideration that 48% of the Filipino families class themselves poor, it is 2 points higher than 2017
(Randa, 2018). In addition to the list of challenges faced by Ambisyon 2040, Mendoza (2018) quoted that
to be a middle-class society, the Philippines needs to keep up or surpass its 7.1% economic growth rate
for 24 more years. Furthermore, the current and future administrations should successfully provide 1.3
million to 1.5 million jobs every year for the next 20 years.
To be honest, I find Ambisyon Natin 2040 too idealistic because of all the towering statistics it
should meet. Plus, more important than the numbers, the effect should be felt by the smallest sector in
our nation. The lives of every Filipino people should be elevated without leaving the poorest of the poor
behind. So, a student and a future development communicator, I will support the vision not only because
it is what the administration prepared but, in my opinion, it was an ambitious yet great plan for a
developing country like ours