NEDA defers new development plan to next administration

MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will defer the crafting of the next Philippine Development Plan (PDP) to the succeeding administration.

“On the Philippine Development Plan, the basis, the foundation and the substance, we are already beginning to work on them. But of course we defer to the next administration and the next president’s issuance of an executive order to formally launch the process,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said in a virtual forum with members of the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) Wednesday.

“But I have requested my entire technical team to  begin the substantive discussion because many of the issues and policy priorities were not changed,” Chua said.

Chua is recommending that the next administration continue the four priorities of the current NEDA administration under the remainder of its term, particularly innovation, regional equity, smart infrastructure and climate change.

Meanwhile, Chua said he also recommends that the next administration frame the new PDP along the theme of “saving the planet, saving the country,” emphasizing the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management.

“We are a country with one of the least emissions yet we are hit the most. And once in a century flooding is now once in a decade. Once in a decade typhoons are now once every two years,”Chua said.

“Everything we do in energy, agriculture, environment, mining industry, should be around the theme of saving the country and saving the planet,”he said.

The current PDP 2017-2022, first launched in 2017,  is anchored on the government’s zero to 10-point socioeconomic agenda and geared towards the achievement of  long-term vision for Filipinos to enjoy a strongly rooted, comfortable and secure life.

In February last year, an updated version of the PDP 2017-2022 was launched to respond to the emergence of new threats to the country’s growth prospects and guide the transition towards economic recovery.

The plan responds to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and provides the strategies for the country’s economic recovery.

The updated PDP contains five major programs designed to build the resilience of individuals, families, businesses, government, and society under the new normal. These are health system improvement, food security, learning continuity, digital transformation, and regional development.

The plan also gives deliberate attention to the special circumstances of overseas Filipinos and their families, especially given that they were one of the groups most affected by COVID-19.

It also aims to give them opportunities to actively participate in the country’s development processes and for them to eventually reintegrate into the country.