July 25, 2019
MANILA— The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is hopeful that the measure institutionalizing and empowering the agency will pass in the 18th Congress and enable the former to fully carry out its mandate and help sustain the country’s progress over the long-term.
“We would like to thank Senator Sherwin Gatchalian Albay and 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda for their continued support to NEDA and believing in the agency’s untapped potential,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.
Senator Gatchalian filed in the Senate the NEDA Charter Bill or Senate Bill No. (SBN), underscoring the need to foster a “culture of planning” in the government. The Senator was also the NEDA Charter Bill’s principal author in the 17th Congress.
This measure aims to institutionalize NEDA as the country’s premier socioeconomic planning agency that will oversee the crafting and implementation of long-term, continuing, integrated, and coordinated programs and policies for national development.
Pernia stressed that the passage of the bill is crucial in the implementation of the country’s development agenda, including the realization of the country’s long-term vision called Ambisyon Natin 2040.
“The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, Ambisyon Natin 2040, and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 are well-aligned and overarching, and we need to ensure that government actions are strategic, coherent, and evidence-based,” Pernia said. “We need a strong institution that oversees and coordinates with all other agencies to help us overcome silo mentality and short-sightedness in government,” he said.
The bill seeks to institutionalize “Planning Call” to ensure a timely and coordinated process and give NEDA a sufficiently authoritative position as an oversight body.
It also aims to ensure the integration of the Philippine Development Plan and Regional Development Plans, as well as the institutionalization of long-term planning through the creation of a long-term development plan.
Rep. Salceda also filed the bill’s counterpart in the lower house at the opening of the 18th Congress.
Pernia welcomed the bill’s filing, along with the news that the premier socioeconomic planning agency ranked second in the Makati Business Club (MBC)’s Executive Outlook Survey, which covers 69 government agencies. The MBC conducted the Survey in partnership with the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
NEDA jumped to the second place (85% satisfaction rating) in the 2019 Executive Outlook Survey, from the 11th place (80% satisfaction rating) in 2015. Topping the list with a satisfaction rating of 97 percent was Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The MBC survey asked 100 executives from 100 companies whether they were satisfied or not with the performance of 69 government agencies from July 2018 to June 2019.
“The rating is a testament to the improved confidence in NEDA’s performance in the past years. This further motivates us to excel in our role of leading the country towards its goals and aspirations through seamless, participatory, evidence-based, and proactive planning,” said Pernia.
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