2007 is year of Filipino entrepreneur, says GMA

The Philippine STAR Headlines

Publication Date: [Friday, December 29, 2006]

2007 will be the year of the Filipino entrepreneur whose businesses will be the lead drivers of the economy, President Arroyo said yesterday.

In a statement, Mrs. Arroyo said the government has been laying the groundwork — including increasing investor confidence through fiscal reforms — for a conducive environment for business, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“We shall continue to breach poverty as we move forward, broadening education and health services to build minds and bodies to compete in the world and infusing resources to pull the bandwagon of grassroots enterprise,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

She said: “Let 2007 be the year for the Filipino entrepreneur, building on the courage, perseverance and skills of our people.”

She expressed gratitude to all Filipinos, including those overseas, as well as the foreign investment community, for standing behind the country.

The President also credited lawmakers and local officials for maintaining political stability that helped increase investor confidence in the country following the implementation of painful fiscal reforms: “Permanent political and economic stability is on the horizon, founded on a strong social payback in terms of investments, jobs, infrastructure and essential services that are lifting more families out of abject poverty.”

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chairman Domingo Panganiban said the administration will intensify its anti-poverty programs — particularly in the country’s 10 poorest provinces — and expand livelihood assistance to increase the size of the country’s entrepreneurial class.

In a press conference at Malacañang with other Cabinet officials, Panganiban said the major direct anti-poverty thrusts of the administration focus on livelihood and employment; asset reform, which includes agrarian reform; essential services, including education, health, nutrition and the provision of adequate water and electricity services; social protection, including health insurance and; empowerment.

Under the livelihood and employment segment, he said, the government — through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agrarian Reform — has targeted nearly 500,000 clients for microfinancing.

Over 2.2 million micro-businesses nationwide were recorded, as of September this year, as recipients of government financing, DSWD Undersecretary Lualhati Pablo said.

Panganiban said the government has been meeting 75 percent of its target of one million jobs a year since 2004. This percentage could be higher, he said, as the figure refers only to those given skills training by the government and given job placements.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the administration has exceeded its target of setting up of 5,000 “Botika ng Barangay” nationwide for 2006 with 7,350 outlets set up.

Each outlet, which sells medicines at low cost, serves at least 250 poor families, he said.

As far as electrification is concerned, Panganiban said the administration is aiming to electrify 95 percent of the nation’s barangays by February next year and hit the 100-percent mark by 2008. — Paolo Romero

Posted by Manuel

Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala

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