DOF disputes our editorial

AS regards your editorial entitled “Three things Filipinos need from economic managers” (Manila Times, January 30, 2017), please allow us to point out that our economic managers are not—in your words—“feeding its people with false hopes and promises” in embarking on President Duterte’s inclusive-growth agenda to reduce the poverty incidence from 22 percent to 13-14 percent over the next six years and transform the country into an upper middle-income [economy] by 2022.

This agenda might be ambitious but is actually doable, given the rare alignment of positive economic indicators, a popular and decisive political leadership, and an unequalled investment strategy anchored on higher spending on 1) infrastructure and human capital to create jobs, improve living standards and sharpen the country’s global competitiveness; and 2) social protection to bring the poor and other vulnerable sectors into the mainstream of growth.