OPENING STATEMENT OF
NEDA SECRETARY ARSENIO M. BALISACAN
Public Hearing on the Economy, Planning and Development Bill
Andaya Hall, House of Representatives
March 13, 2024 | 1:30 PM
Hon. Representative Jonathan Keith T. Flores, Chairperson of the Committee on Government Reorganization,
Hon. Representative Jose Maria “Joey” Salceda & Mikaela Suansing, Vice Chairpersons of the Committee on Economic Affairs,
Hon. Representative Stella Quimbo, Senior Vice Chair of the Committee on Appropriation,
Honorable Congress members Jose Manuel Alba, Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, Zaldy Villa, and Teodoro Haresco,
Colleagues in government,
Good afternoon.
I thank Congress for allowing us to discuss the importance of passing this important bill, the Economy, Planning, and Development Bill. The proposed legislative measure strengthens and streamlines the powers and functions of the economic and planning agency of government, mandated by the Constitution to implement continuing and coordinated policies for national development.
First, please allow me to provide some context.
Despite encountering several domestic and global headwinds since emerging from the pandemic, the Philippines is one of Asia’s best-performing economies. Still, amid a generally favorable outlook, the country continues to face the challenges of sustaining rapid and inclusive growth, eradicating poverty, and addressing various socioeconomic inequalities.
Economic history suggests that economic and social development results from deliberate, concerted government actions. Saying differently, we only produce desired results when government actions are consistent and policies are coherent.
The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA Secretariat, by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 230, series of 1987, is primarily tasked to serve as the research and technical arm of the NEDA Board, which the President chairs. Over the years, the public has expected the agency to play a greater role in shaping the nation’s economic and social development amid complex challenges. To effectively and efficiently perform this expanding mandate, NEDA needs to be reorganized into the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (or DEPDEV) to act as the primary agency of the executive branch for policy, planning, coordinating, and monitoring socioeconomic matters.
In 2015, during my first term at NEDA, we initiated the formulation of the AmBisyon Natin 2040, the country’s long-term, collective vision of a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay for all Filipinos. Although the creation of a long-term vision is not part of NEDA’s mandate under EO No. 230, we recognized then that an articulated and shared vision – grounded on data and information from consultations with Filipinos from various sectors – is instrumental in rallying our countrymen to contribute to nation-building and achieving our overall development goals.
Thus, we saw the need to institutionalize the formulation of this long-term vision. Medium- and long-term development roadmaps must transcend political cycles, and the accompanying policy initiatives, legislative priorities, government programs, and projects must be sustained and implemented consistently over decades, not just a few years. Stakeholder consultations foster inclusive and sound participatory governance, as it promotes shared ownership and accountability. To ensure that the vision remains relevant, it must undergo a periodic review considering our countrymen’s changing aspirations and preferences. NEDA must have a clear mandate to lead in this regular visioning and long-term planning exercise with the participation of government instrumentalities and relevant stakeholders.
Further, for the past four decades, NEDA has led the formulation of the Philippine Development Plan. However, proper planning can only go so far if it is not seamlessly linked with other equally essential steps in the cycle. These steps include budgeting, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, which feed back into the planning exercise. NEDA performs a catalytic role in each step. It facilitates coordination among agencies by aligning agency objectives, harmonizing policy instruments and implementation timelines, and resolving roadblocks toward timely policy or project assessment and execution.
The reorganization of NEDA into the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development would strengthen NEDA’s mandate and give the agency equal footing with other Executive departments, thereby reinforcing such linkages. The reorganization will help ensure that well-crafted plans do not remain just that, and that the policies and projects that the government approves are adequately monitored to check on their progress and rigorously evaluated to examine their effectiveness in realizing intended outcomes.
NEDA sits in over a hundred interagency bodies and councils by virtue of several laws and issuances, underscoring its vital and pivotal role in shaping the nation’s economic and social development. It helps inform high-level policy decisions and legislative deliberations covering nearly all aspects of the nation’s economic life. NEDA evaluates and ensures that the government will spend scarce public resources on high-impact initiatives. At the same time, it coordinates government actions toward the execution and realization of policies and projects. It ensures inclusivity by helping steer and push for regional programs and projects aligned with the President’s socioeconomic agenda.
In a fast-changing and increasingly complex world, the institutions playing a role in our country’s economic governance must evolve to meet the needs of the times. We hope that Congress will recognize that the reorganization of NEDA into the DEPDEV will help our institution fulfill its mandate to serve the country and bring us closer toward the matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay that we all aspire for.
Thank you, and good afternoon to all.
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