President Rodrigo R. Duterte meets with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa in Malacañang on Monday (Oct. 3, 2016). (MNS photo)
MANILA, Oct 4 (Mabuhay) – Businessmen should give President Rodrigo Duterte more time to improve the country’s business climate, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Tuesday, as the new government prepared to mark its first 100 days in office.
While reforms have not taken hold in the entire country, the have been “some improvements” in the bureaucracy and President has made headway in his war on drugs, PCCI president George Barcelon told reporters in Malacanang.
Duterte promised took office on June 30, promising to cut red tape and end corruption in the bureaucracy.
“I would tell my friends in the business community that we have to be patient…I think we owe it to this government,” Barcelon said.
“Politically speaking we put emphasis on the first 100 days [but] 100 days is really a very short time,” he said.
Barcelon sees Duterte’s positive tone towards China as a positive development.
“The way I read [that] is the President is opening more options to us [since] for most businessmen we look at opportunities in a very practical manner,” he said.
“We are neither pro-US pro-China but we are pro-Filipinos,” he added.
The PCCI has a “very positive” outlook on the economy, he said.
“People are concerned with the statements that they hear [from the President] but what’s more important [is] we firmly believe that he will do the right thing. We just need to give him time,” he said.
Since Duterte assumed office, he has been criticized for lashing out against the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and most recently for mentioning Nazi leader Adolf Hitler as he promised to kill three million drug addicts.(MNS