Donors keen to support government projects

Donors expressed 'overwhelming' support for state programs seeking to improve the lives of the poor and provide more infrastructure during the first Philippines Development Forum (PDF) of the Aquino administration held Saturday. “It was a show of support, trust, and optimism. There was a high level of confidence [and] we are very keen in supporting the plans of President [Benigno S.C. Aquino III]," World Bank Country Director Bert Hofman told reporters during a briefing after the meeting. No pledges were made, Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said in the same briefing. Rather, “it was a show of support for the Philippines," Mr. Purisima noted. “Compared with my previous PDF in 2005, there was high enthusiasm [among attendees] and support was also higher," he added. The Philippines, where about a fifth of the population is poor and which has been beset by budget deficits, needs donor support to fund its programs. The PDF provides the space where the government can present to international development partners priority programs they can support. “You can be assured that your money will be better spent under this administration," Pres. Aquino told the donors in his speech. As in past forums, the PDF, held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, was co-organized by the World Bank and the Finance department. The almost nine-hour meeting was held behind closed doors. But the program showed that Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr. presented the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 to the forum’s over 300 attendees. Cabinet secretaries representing the human development, governance and security, and economy clusters then presented their priority programs. Copies of Mr. Aquino’s speech and of the presentations were distributed to reporters. Mr. Purisima, who heads the economic cluster, said his group presented programs that focused on “fiscal consolidation, public private partnership (PPP) and development of agricultural productivity." Headed by the Finance department, the economic cluster is composed of the Tourism, Budget, Transportation and Communications, Energy, Public Works and Trade departments, and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Social Welfare Secretary Corazon J. Soliman, head of the human development cluster, told reporters the target is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals -- a set of targets primarily aimed at cutting poverty by half four years from now -- particularly those that concern “health, education, social protection and asset reform." The cluster is composed of the Social Welfare, Education, Health, Local Government, Science and Technology and Labor departments, together with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, National Anti-Poverty Commission, Commission on Higher Education and NEDA. “The goal is to cover the 20% of the bottom poor by 2015...with health, education and social programs," Ms. Soliman said. Priority health and social programs, she said, include an expanded conditional cash transfer (CCT) program and universal health care to be provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and “shouldered by the national government." “The goal is the convergence of health, education, and social protection programs wherein families will be able to have universal health care, social support, while classrooms are being built...," she added. For the governance and security cluster, Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad, who heads the group, told reporters projects are focused on “promoting good governance and transparency" in the government. “This is done through the cooperation of CSOs (civil society organizations) and financial management reforms," he said. Agencies composing the governance and security cluster are the Local Government, Justice and Defense departments, as well as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, National Security Council and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. Mr. Hofman reiterated the World Bank's willingness to finance “right-of-ways [sic] and guarantees" for PPP projects. The World Bank is also willing to increase its assistance to the Philippines, which currently averages $600 million each year. Support will also be given to expand the coverage of the CCT and the universal health care program, Mr. Hofman added. Multilateral organizations that attended the event included the International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank and the United States Agency for International Development. -- Prinz P. Magtulis, BusinessWorld