Bohol First District Representative Rene L. Relampagos today expressed support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s Ten-Point Socio-Economic Agenda presented during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before a joint session of Congress on Monday.

Relampagos said he will continue to file bills that would complement the administration’s thrust against crime, drugs and poverty.

“I am pleased with the President’s pronouncement that his administration will continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary, and trade policies. Continued implementation of the country’s development programs and projects from the past administration is crucial in achieving our goals. We just need to enhance and strengthen the enforcement of such policies that have brought about steady growth over the past years,” Relampagos stressed.

The lawmaker said it is important to accelerate infrastructure spending as it will attract more investors and travelers from different parts of the world, thereby boosting Philippine tourism, providing that we utilize government’s funds properly.

He also cited the President’s plan to enhance agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism; invest in human capital development, and match skills and training; and promote science, technology, and the creative arts to enhance innovation and creative capacity.

“I will support the reforms needed to capacitate the rural poor – our farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples among others – who have long been neglected, through sustainable livelihood programs, education, cultural preservation, tourism development and technological advancement,” Relampagos said.

President Duterte’s economic team presented the following Ten-Point Economic Agenda:

1. Continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary, and trade policies.
2. Institute progressive tax reform and more effective tax collection, indexing taxes to inflation.
3. Increase competitiveness and the ease of doing business.
4. Accelerate annual infrastructure spending to account for 5% of GDP, with Public-Private Partnerships

playing a key role.

5. Promote rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity

and rural tourism.

6. Ensure security of land tenure to encourage investments, and address bottlenecks in land management and

titling agencies.

7. Invest in human capital development, including health and education systems, and match skills and training.
8. Promote science, technology, and the creative arts to enhance innovation and creative capacity.
9. Improve social protection programs, including the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program.
10. 10. Strengthen implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law