In front of lawmakers, President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, July 28, highlighted the benefits of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program – declared partially unconstitutional by the Supreme Court – at the start of his fifth State of the Nation Address.(MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The country’s largest and most influential business organizations, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Makati Business Club (MBC) are satisfied with the 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III delivered Monday.
In a phone interview, PCCI president Alfredo M. Yao said Aquino’s commitment to continue reforms and programs ensuring economic developments give further confidence to the business community.
“That’s what we want to hear: to continue reforms,” Yao said.
He cited significant points the Chief Executive mentioned in his SONA which include public-private partnership (PPP) projects and infrastructure projects that are necessary to attract more investments in the country.
“The business community wants to see more of those projects,” he said.
Yao, likewise, expressed his support to the President’s request to the Congress to pass a supplemental budget for this year in order to continue programs and projects that will benefit more Filipinos as well as passing a Joint Resolution of the Congress that will define and clarify some existing laws.
For his part, MBC executive director Peter Angelo V. Perfecto said in a text message that the business group lauded President Aquino’s reaffirmation that the Filipino is worth dying, living, and fighting for.
“That gives us all hope that the reforms will continue, that good governance will continue, and that inclusive growth will continue to be pursued,” said Perfecto.
“The President chose to give his bosses a full account of what they have accomplished so far amidst all the noise being created, that their promises have not been kept,” he added.
Moreover, PCCI’s Yao and MBC’s Perfecto said even if the President did not tackle other issues they want to hear like the Freedom of Information bill, solutions to power issues, and logistics among others, they remain optimistic that the government will still deliver solutions on these concerns. (MNS)