Name: LENARD A. BELANO
Program: MAED-SOC.SCI.
Course: SS 510
Professor: PROF. JULIE ANN QUILATAN
___________________________________________________________________
Towards AmBisyon Natin 2040: Discussion Paper on the Philippine
Development Plan 2023-2028
Strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure lives. This is the Philippine government's
overall visionary goal for the country for the next two decades, known as the AmBisyon
Natin 2040, a National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-initiated project started
in 2015 that articulates the people of the Philippines collective long-term goals and
aspirations for both the nation and for themselves in the next 25 years. The AmBisyon
Natin 2040 was also formulated in response to the people’s clamor to have a long-term
development plan that ensures sustainability and continuity of good policies, programs,
and projects beyond the term of a political administration. It is because, as observed in
previous administrations, when the six-year term of the president ends, the newly elected
one will implement new development plans and strategies. This often led to the
discontinuity of even the best policies and programs of the outgoing administrations.
Hence, the AmBisyon Natin 2040 is a very important document as it will serve as the
guidance or foundation of the government agencies as to what policies and programs
should be implemented, what kind of strategies should be employed, and what plan
should be made.
Regarding this, the current president, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., issued an
Executive Order (EO) on January 27, 2023, approving and adopting the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP) for the years 2023–2028, which he described as an "economic
and social transformation" in response to the COVID-19 crisis and rising inflation. The
PDP is also the second medium-term plan that aims to restore the nation to a high growth
trajectory while, most importantly, facilitating economic and social reform for a
prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society. Therefore, this article examines the goals and
strategies of the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and determines whether or not
they are linked to the AmBisyon Natin 2040. This article will also look at the current state
of the government's previous efforts to address the nation's economic and social issues.
1.Towards becoming a strongly rooted society: MATATAG
According to AmBisyon Natin 2040, Filipinos aspire to be and have a strongly
rooted life. And this includes a life which they don’t need to go to far places and leave
their family just to seek a stable job; a life that give them balance in terms of the time they
spent in work, friends, and family; a life where there is an opportunity to enjoy in parks
and other recreational activities; a life where there is unity among citizens; and a life where
1|Page
everyone are passionate to serve the community, help others who are in need, and
contribute to various causes.
But what are the key strategies and approaches of Philippine Development Plan
2023-2028 in order to provide Filipinos a strongly rooted life in year 2040?
The first objective of Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 is to develop and
protect the capabilities of individuals and families. This includes promoting human and
social development; reducing vulnerabilities and protect purchasing power; and
increasing income-earning ability.
To promote human and social development, the government plans and targets
according to PDP 2023-2028 are to boost Filipinos health; improve education and lifelong
learning; and establish livable communities. This is a good point that needs prioritization
as health crisis, quality education and security threats are some of the major problems
the country is facing. In health aspects, we witness how Covid-19 pandemic crisis
hampered both the health of the people and economy of the country in the past two
consecutive years. But does the current administration initial step towards promoting
healthy Filipinos was well executed? The answer might be quite vague. Currently the
country has still a poor healthcare system. There is a scarcity of healthcare professionals
as well as hospital beds and medical supplies. Particularly in rural areas and poorer
provinces, there is a lack of medical personnel and supplies. Only 4 of the Philippines' 17
major regions' hospital beds per 1,000 population are above the required level.
Furthermore, many patients in the Philippines cannot get the necessary surgical care due
to a lack of high-quality operating room equipment.
Meanwhile in education aspect, one of the problems discovered in the existing K
to 12 curriculum was that it was "overloaded" with too many lessons or subjects. Due to
having plenty of competencies in a given period or quarter, shallow concentration of
lessons is being practiced rather than fostering depth and comprehensive discussion of
topics just to cover the expected competencies. This can also be associated or referred
to as ‘mile-wide and inch-deep teaching” which is not a good practice of instructions
because some teachers tend to cover too much territory of lessons for a session or
quarter and will only give little knowledge and understanding of the topic areas. Basically,
students wouldn’t be able to grasp every part of the lesson and it does not Promote deep
learning. It might be true that reading is heavily encouraged in schools but the possibility
of comprehension of what one is reading is not the emphasis because students are
required or tend to memorize bulk of ideas and concept coming from the learning
materials without even having thorough understanding of the subject matter. This could
lead to low comprehension skill of a student. One of the solutions that the government
trying to implement to address the overloaded competencies issue of the K to 12
curriculum is the implementation of MATATAG Curriculum. This is a revised K to 10
curriculum that cuts down the number of subjects in Grades 1 and 2 from seven to five to
emphasize the development of foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills among younger learners.
2|Page
To reduce vulnerabilities and protect purchasing power, the government
plans, and targets according to PDP 2023-2028 are ensuring food security and proper
nutrition; and strengthen social protection. Ensuring food security is a good point to
promote a strongly rooted life to ensure that people have access to the food they need.
However, the country’s main source of food which is the agriculture is currently not in a
good situation. In fact, despite of being the backbone of the society, agricultural sector
makes up the smallest share of its GDP. The Philippines Statistic Authority (PSA)'s most
recent Agriculture Indicators System indicates that the agricultural industry only
contributes 8.9% of the country's GDP in 2022. It thus contributes the least to the
economy compared to the other two sectors, which are the service sector (61% share)
and the industry sector (29.7% share).
So, the question is, “Can government able to ensure the food security and nutrition
of the country until year 2028?
Considering the existing and arising challenges that may affect the sustainability
of agricultural growth, the answer could be vague again. First is, the dry condition and dry
spell currently happening to some provinces in the country due to El Nino. El Nino Alert
status has been raised by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration (PAGASA) from 55% to 80% probability between June and
August of this year. Up until March 2024, Filipinos can anticipate below-average rainfall,
dry spells, and droughts. If El Nino occurs in a long period of time, it will adversely affect
the agricultural sector especially the rice production since the “palay” solely rely in water
irrigation and wet soils. Hence, the economy of the Philippines may suffer due to the fact
that more than 20% of the local labor force is employed in agriculture.
Second, aside from the threat of El Nino, one of the challenges that may also affect
the growth of agricultural sector is the persistence of the African swine fever (ASF). ASF
affects both domestic and wild pigs and is a highly contagious viral disease. Although it
has no direct impact on human health, it currently has a detrimental effect on the country's
farming economy since the hog business has collapsed due to the speed and extent of
its devastation. According to the Department of Agriculture, the devastating pig disease
continues to ravage the pig population of the Philippines, affecting 21 provinces, 54 towns
and 137 rural communities. Thus, ASF is currently one of the burdens and threats to
Philippine agriculture.
And third, the Conversion of Agricultural Land to Residential or Urban Landscape.
Numerous agricultural fields were being compromised as a result of the continual
construction of residential homes and infrastructure for the purpose of urbanization, which
was brought on by the rapid rise of the population and the modernization of infrastructure.
From the landowners, several wealthy developers purchased vast farms, turning them
into commercial and residential properties. This issue was also raised by Senator Raffy
Tulfo during the Senate plenary debates on the Department of Agriculture's proposed
2023 budget. He opposed the real estate and retail businesses of the Villar family, as
3|Page
some farmlands in Cauayan and Isabela were converted by the Villars into subdivisions.
Hence, if the process of urbanization is not balanced and most of the agricultural lands
are converted into residential and commercial lands, there will be a decrease in crop
production. If not addressed abruptly, other economic sectors will be affected, such as
the manufacturing sector. If there are not sufficient resources that the manufacturing
company can manufacture, chances are that they will hoard those agricultural products
or import them from foreign countries. As a result, the prices of goods on the market would
increase.
To increase income earning ability, the government plans and targets according
to PDP 2023-2028 are to increase employability; expand employment opportunities; and
achieve shared labor market governance.
In February 2023, the Philippines saw a substantial decline in its unemployment
rate with only 4.8% of the population unemployed. Comparing this to the same time period
in 2022, when the unemployment rate was 6.4%, it is clear that there has been a
significant improvement. This encouraging trend can be ascribed to more Filipinos
entering the job force, as the labor force participation rate increased to 66.6 percent in
February 2022 from 64.5 percent in February of the previous year. Additionally, the
employment rate has remained at 95.2 percent from the previous month, which is higher
than the 93.6 percent seen in the previous year. With 90.9 percent of young people
employed in February 2023 compared to 89.2 percent in January 2023 and 85.7 percent
in February 2022, the youth employment rate has also increased.
However, even though the employment rate has increased, there is still room for
improvement. The administration aims to achieve an unemployment rate of between 5.3
and 6.4 percent for the entire year 2023. The employment-creating policies outlined in the
Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028 will be implemented in order to achieve
this objective. The government should also keep concentrating on streamlining
bureaucratic procedures and business regulations, utilizing game-changing reforms like
the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), Foreign Investment Act (FIA), and Public
Service Act (PSA) to draw in capital, support higher-quality employment, and quicken
economic growth. These initiatives will significantly improve the nation's labor economy
over time.
2.Towards having a comfortable life: MAGINHAWA
According to AmBisyon Natin 2040, Filipinos aspire to be and have a comfortable
life. And this includes a life where poverty and hunger are not anymore a problem; a life
where family members are together in their own home having complete amenities; a life
where everyone can easily go to a place they want since there is a convenient and
affordable transport; a life where people can able to utilize and exudes their skills and
4|Page
potentials; and a life where decent jobs are available to everyone that can provide
sustainable income and opportunities.
But what are the key strategies and approaches of Philippine Development Plan
2023-2028 in order to provide Filipinos a comfortable life in year 2040?
The second objective of Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 is to transform
production sectors to generate more quality jobs and produce competitive products. This
includes modernizing agriculture and business, revitalize industry, and reinvigorate
services.
To modernize agriculture and agribusiness, the government plans, and targets
as stated in PDP 2023-2028 is to advance research and development, technology, and
innovation. This is a very good point as since of the factors that helps increase the
production of agricultural products is the use of appropriate equipment or the presence of
advanced machinery. In some countries, like Vietnam, mechanization in agriculture has
been the top priority to increase agricultural production. Hence, they purchase farming
equipment such as tractors, water pumping equipment, combine harvesters, and tools for
drying agricultural products. Here in the Philippines, most farmers rely solely on
manpower. Or sometimes they have just created improvised equipment due to their
inability to purchase new farming equipment. As a result, there is a slow production of
agricultural products here in the Philippines compared to other countries.
To revitalize industry, the government plans, and targets as stated in PDP 20232028 is to enhance inter-industry linkages; and to promote trade and investments. This
will be a good step as the country’s industrial sector is just recovering from the onslaught
of COVID-19 Pandemic. Lockdowns brought on by the pandemic disrupted supply chains
and limited people's movement, which caused the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall
by 9.5% for the entire year 2020. Another problem that challenges the manufacturing
sector of the country is the Ukraine and Russian war as prices of petroleum gasoline and
basic goods increased significantly. Due to the conflict of two powerful countries,
numerous nations are still at risk as a result of the rising costs of energy, oil, fertilizer,
wheat, and wheat-related products, as well as export restrictions imposed by other
nations to "protect their own people." This is particularly true for the Philippines, which
depends on these major exporters to make up the difference in its own production needs.
Thus, enhancing inter-industry linkages could help the country to boost the productions
of domestic products. If the manufacture, construction, mining and other major industries
will work hand-in-hand, there will be always sufficient supply of local goods which could
also lessen the country’s tendency to import such product that always the cause of
inflation.
To reinvigorate services, the government plans, and targets as stated in PDP
2023-2028 is to actively promote the country’s tourism, culture, creative sector, and
Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM). In the past two years,
the pandemic also had an impact on the services sector since community quarantines
5|Page
restricted the movement of people, products, and service delivery. The greatest challenge
they have faced is the transition to virtual world and the integration of digital technology.
Therefore, the readiness of the nation's digital infrastructure, as well as the bolstering of
digital security and consumer protection, are crucial in going forward during these times.
3. Towards Having Secured Lives: PANATAG
According to AmBisyon Natin 2040, Filipinos aspire to be and have a secured life.
And this includes a life where they don’t need to worry their future until their retirement; a
life where there are savings that make their finances secured; a life that they can feel safe
wherever the place in the country they want to go; a life where government are trusted
public servants and provide service to all citizens equally.
But what are the key strategies and approaches of Philippine Development Plan
2023-2028 in order to provide Filipinos a secure life in year 2040?
The third objective of Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 is to foster an
enabling environment encompassing institutions, physical and natural environment,
which promotes a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society. This includes the practice
of good governance and improve bureaucratic efficiency; ensure macroeconomic stability
and expand inclusive and innovative finance; ensure peace and security, and enhance
administration of justice, expand and upgrade infrastructure, accelerate climate action
and strengthen disaster reduction.
The practice of good governance and improve bureaucratic efficiency is
essential for the people to earn their trust to the government. As a democratic society, it
has always been the citizens’ right to demand transparency from the different officials or
agency in the government may it be local or national. For instance, if people will know
where their taxes and the country’s income go, they would be encouraged to contribute
more for the development of the country since they able to ensure that the money taken
from them by the government were being utilized wisely and correctly.
To ensure macroeconomic stability and expand inclusive and innovative
finance it is a must for the government to address first the rapid inflation of different
essential goods in the country such as rice, onions, sugar etc. These goods are very
essential to human everyday used, that’s why it drastically affect the finance or the daily
budgeting of the people once the price of one of them hikes. Government must also
allocate fund or invest in innovating the sectors in production to increase the supply and
supply chain of particular output.
To expand and upgrade infrastructure it is important that the current administration
should continue the unfinished projects of the previous administration. The current Build
Better More (BBM) project of the incumbent administration is a good step to further
strengthen the Philippines' ongoing infrastructure projects to address the "binding
constraints to business investment and expansion that will create more, high-quality, and
6|Page
resilient jobs that will allow the Philippines to meet its poverty-reduction goals for the
medium term." Moreover, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Build Better More (BBM)
infrastructure initiative aims to extend the previous administration's Build, Build, Build
(BBB) program. The inadequate infrastructure of the nation, which impedes national
growth, is the focus of this infrastructure program.
7|Page
References:
Arsdale, K.V. Improving Healthcare in the Philippines with Affordable Equipment from
the USA. Avante Health Solutions. Retrieved from:
https://avantehs.com/i/philippines/articles/improving-healthcare
National Economic and Development Authority. (2016). ABOUT AMBISYON NATIN
2040. Retrieved from: https://2040.neda.gov.ph/about-ambisyon-natin-2040/
National Economic and Development Authority. (2022). Philippine Development Plan
2023-2028. No. 12 St. Josemaria Escriva Drive Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines,
1605. Retrieved from: https://pdp.neda.gov.ph/philippine-development-plan-2023-2028/
Santos J.M. (2023). Build Better More (BBM): Moving Towards Better Infrastructure.
Retrieved from: https://pinoybuilders.ph/build-better-more-bbm-moving-towards-betterinfrastructure/
8|Page