Thinking Beyond PoliticsWe at Stratbase have always advocated a shift away from consumption-led growth toward investment-driven development. Our experience of COVID-19 — specically, its economic consequences — emphasized the need to be less vulnerable to external developments and hence be more resilient to external shocks.
We gathered a small group of economic experts to dissect this topic during a virtual round-table discussion held Feb. 9. The consensus was that infrastructure building through collaboration between the government and the public sector is key, but this has to be balanced with all the other problems hounding the country and our people.
Mr. Pernia believes that the key strategies to fulfilling the Philippine Development Plan 2023-28 would be maintaining robust macroeconomic fundamentals for rapid economic recovery, keeping in mind that the vitality of the economy is only as good as the country’s health and educational system, and using a whole-of-government/whole-of-society approach in ensuring policy efDr.
Investments are a special kind of economic activity, different because they transcend the here and now. They contemplate the future. It’s a commitment: when they come in, they are in for the long haul. They are a crucial tool in increasing a nation’s productivity while also generating employment, providing income security, and alleviating other economic hardships being experienced by millions of Filipinos.