Employers’ group lauds President Marcos’ 1st year in office

MANILA, Philippines — The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has lauded President Marcos for “doing very well after his one year in the presidency.”

“He was able to hold the economy in spite of the pandemic, in spite of many challenges in the international arena. The economy is now moving forward fastest in the region. That will include of course efforts to invite investors, he is pushing the ease of doing business plus the choice of priorities which mean jobs,” ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis  Jr. said.

He said inflation and agriculture are among the unfinished jobs of the President as he is set to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow.

“I could say, the partly unfinished job is inflation but it’s going down slowly but surely. On the part of agriculture, there is a need to bring the productivity of agriculture higher. Those are the unfinished agenda that should be addressed,” Ortiz-Luis said.

Ortiz-Luis said among those he expects to hear from the SONA include more programs for agriculture, education and additional budget for key agencies.

“The expectation for the Department of Trade and Industry is big but the budget is small. We understand that it is not the President who prepares the budget but bigger allocation should be given to those who will create jobs, those who will create investments,” he said.

At the same time, Ortiz-Luis added that for his second year in office, Marcos should find a long-term solution to the country’s power situation.

“He has to decide. We cannot live without (additional) sources of power, it will really affect businesses and the people.”

Ortiz-Luis said more efforts should also be made in the areas of tourism and mining.

“There is a need to improve tourism and the mining industry for the country to benefit from these sectors,” he said.