EDITORIAL - State of the nation

Rodrigo Duterte has inherited an economy that is the second fastest growing in the region after China. A framework for peace in Mindanao is in place. Business confidence has been high for the past six years, buoyed by policies that were anchored on good governance.

Last Saturday night, President Duterte signed a landmark order, implementing freedom of information throughout the executive branch. He is expected to push his congressional allies to pass an FOI law to promote transparency in the other branches of government.

The challenges faced by the nation remain daunting. The income gap is a chasm and economic growth has not trickled down, with about 40 percent of Filipinos classified as poor. The lack of decent employment continues to fuel the migrant worker phenomenon, opening Filipinos to exploitation and human trafficking overseas.

Duterte has started addressing the problems that make life miserable for ordinary Filipinos: red tape and corruption, criminality, traffic and poor mass transportation facilities. Other problems will take more than six years to resolve, such as inadequate infrastructure and Asia’s highest power costs, but the President can lay the groundwork for long-term solutions.

There are other problems beyond his direct control, such as corruption and inefficiency in the judiciary and in local governments. But he can use his colossal popularity to push for reforms.

Thanks to spadework conducted by the previous administration, the nation has had its maritime entitlements delineated by an international tribunal, with China’s expansive claims officially declared invalid. But the Philippines lacks the minimum credible capability to exercise those economic entitlements.

Duterte leads a nation that used to be near the top of the regional heap in all human development indicators. That nation has progressively slid in its regional standing, not only because of internal problems but also because its neighbors have been more aggressive in nation-building, with visions of their place in the world and a roadmap for getting there.

The nation is doing well, but it can do better. It’s a nation that not only must catch up with its neighbors, but must also excel and regain its position as a regional leader.