Phl gaining momentum towards competitiveness

CEBU, Philippines - ASEAN integration should not be an issue of concern among Filipinos as the country is already moving on the right track being an important contributor to the combined ASEAN economic strength.

Department of Trade and Industry undersecretary for management and services group Nora Terrado said that while there is an apparent reservation as to the preparedness of the Philippines to embrace a unified economy, she assured that the country is already gaining momentum towards competitiveness.

"We are improving and moving in the right direction towards becoming more competitive in the ASEAN region," said Terrado,.

Terrado was in Cebu yesterday as the keynote speaker of the two-day ICT/BPM Conference held at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

The trade executive emphasized that the Philipines' jump to the 59th spot in the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum is an indication that the country is positioning well in the ASEAN bloc.

Based on the report, among the 10 Southeast Asian countries included in the report, the Philippines placed sixth in terms of competitiveness, ahead of Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia and Myanmar.

"There are a lot of worries around ASEAN about the integration but this has been happening over a period of years. It's just a matter of formalization," she said.

The Competitiveness Report has shown that the trends are positive across most dimensions of the index.

She mentioned that the Philippines is leveraging on its market size, business sophistication, good financial market development, health and primary education.

However, she said that improvements are coming from such a low base that the country cannot afford to be complacent. For instance, transport infrastructure has improved but remains in a dire state especially in the state of the country's airport and seaport facilities.

Meanwhile, Terrado underscored that there must be a push for more collaborative effort between the government, academe, and the private sector; address issues on people development; as well as a change in the mindset of its citizens in taking proactive roles towards reforms.

The recent success of the government in tackling some of the most pressing structural issues are encouraging and proof that bold reforms and measures can yield positive results, she said.

"It is important to realize that strong collaborative effort must be done. Improving the competitiveness of the Philippines, is not only the duty of the government, but its a challenge for all of us," Terrado concluded. (FREEMAN)