No Sector Left Behind: Collaborating with the Public Sector in Future-Proofing the Philippine “New-Normal” Economy
November 8, 2020A recent Pulse Asia survey revealed that an overwhelming 85% of Filipinos believe in partnership between the national government and reputable private companies to ensure the Philippines’ socio-economic recovery. This same survey showed that 90% of Filipinos believe private investors are the main drivers in the creation of jobs. To add to this, the survey showed that the majority of Filipinos believe that the private sector assists in expanding livelihood opportunities (68%), alleviating poverty (62%), and healthcare-related concerns (43%). Furthermore, across social classes and subgroupings that were surveyed, Filipinos agree that government and reputable private enterprises must work together to operate public utilities and implement social service projects.
This survey is a clear reflection of the majority of Filipinos’ sentiment that both the public and private sectors must work in cooperation for our nation to surmount the economic and public health crisis we now face due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our road to success as a nation is founded on a whole-of-society approach inclusive of all sectors and stakeholders, be they experts in academe, private sector, or business. It also gives testament to the continuous efforts of business leaders to provide livelihood and aid to their fellow Filipinos.
As a citizen-led and citizen-oriented group, we laud the private sector’s efforts that have, since the beginning of the onslaught of the pandemic, has initiated effective interventions to bridge gaps in public sector efforts.
We recall the Project Ugnayan, organized by more than 40 top business organizations in the country, which has distributed assistance to 7.6 million Filipinos in Metro Manila’s vulnerable communities. This is in line with the bayanihan spirit espoused by our top business groups that have poured out funds to boost our healthcare facilities, build testing and isolation centers, and other improvements for hospital facilities.
As we slowly transition into opening the economy, the private sector is again at the forefront, leading our nation’s recovery.
CitizenWatch Philippines stands with the Filipino consumers in supporting the call for the government to work with the private sector for economic progress. The private sector is at the core of job creation, generating revenue for public services through taxes and boosting consumer spending power.
In addition, the private sector has been at the forefront of ensuring that our country is not left behind as the world moves into the highly digitized new normal, particularly by ramping up the strength and reach of our digital infrastructure. Such infrastructure is a crucial ingredient in future-proofing our nation’s economy. Digital solutions such as online banking, e-commerce, distance learning, telemedicine, and e-governance have allowed us to boost the speed of transactions, make work and other activities more efficient, and increase the safety and transparency of commerce, and much more.
CitizenWatch Philippines calls for more public and private partnerships that would foster a future-proof Philippines with the full adoption of digital solutions and technologies. As with job generation and our economy, the government must match the private sector’s efforts with well-placed public investment and supportive regulation to improve the bandwidth speeds and expansion of our digital infrastructure.
Let us continue promoting a whole-of-society approach to hasten the Philippines’ transformation into a globally competitive nation!
Orlando O. Oxales
Lead Convenor, CitizenWatch Philippines