THE country’s biggest business groups would rather pick a clean slate for economic managers with no political attachments if only to ensure delivery of results seen to jumpstart the sluggish economy.
Citing the need for incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to come up with a formidable economic team, Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) Chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. hinted on a list of merits for “bankable” experts in fields related and crucial to the economy. According to Ortiz-Luis Jr., who is also the chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI), appointing economic managers would decide be as important as the country’s bid to rebound from the economic slump in view of the pandemic and the oil crisis.
The government’s economic team includes top officials of the Department of Finance, the National Economic Development Administration (NEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA) the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and the Department of Energy (DOE). When asked as to whom the business community would endorse for these agencies, the Honorary Consul General of Romania to the Philippines said that it was never their policy to make endorsements.
He, however, hinted on several criteria for which the next administration may consider in appointing Cabinet Secretaries for the government offices to establish the country’s dream economic team.
On top of their criteria of the economic dream team for country’s Chief Executive is to appoint apolitical individuals, with remarkable track record on their fields of expertise – or somebody from within the agencies with unblemished record and known workhorse — comprising the economic team.
Sought to validate names which have been circulating in the social media, Ortiz-Luis Jr. warded off the supposed roster of Cabinet Secretaries, adding that “could just be a pigment of imagination of somebody else, out of boredom.”
Interestingly, Ortiz-Luis Jr. mentioned the likes of Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, NEDA chief Karl Chua, DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Makatoman, DOE Undersecretary Benito Ranque and even Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian – names which he claimed impressed the business community.
When sought to expound on the energy portfolio, Ortiz-Luis Jr. shrugged off names closely identified to Secretary Alfonso Cusi, adding that all other DOE undersecretaries underperformed as chiefs of the DOE line agencies.
Closely identified to Cusi are Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) president and chief operating officer Jesus Posadas, National Electrification Administration (NEA) chief Emmanuel Janeza and National Power Corporation (Napocor) President Donato Marcos.
As for the DTI, Ortiz-Luis Jr. finds DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Makatoman to become part of the government’s economic team if only to propel the Mindanao’s trade, commerce and industry potentials. Ironically though, Ortiz-Luis Jr. was quite frank when he said that the business community is not happy with the performance of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade amid reports that the latter would be retained in his post.
Ortiz-Luis Jr. together with PCCI President George Barcelon and Philippine Stock Exchange Chairman Jose Pardo are among the convenors of the Sulong Pasay, an LGU-based private public partnership group aim to help revive the economy during and after the pandemic in Pasay City.
