- Published on Monday, 22 October 2012 22:17
- Written by Mia M. Gonzalez | Reporter
President Aquino said
on Monday that economic growth in the second quarter of this year was
higher than originally announced, or more than 5.9 percent, prompting an
upward revision in terms of growth for that period.
Mr. Aquino made the
announcement before the Filipino community at the Auckland City
Convention Center in Auckland, New Zealand, on the first day of his
state visit to that country, while apprising his audience of the
progress his administration has achieved, in contrast to supposed
problems that his predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had left him.
“I was surprised that
in two years’ time, our economy in the first quarter posted 6.3-percent
GDP [gross domestic product] growth. In the second quarter, it was 5.9
[percent] but I understand that would be revised upward,” he said.
The President did not
mention the revised growth figure for the second quarter, saying that
his economic managers have yet to tell him “how up is upward.”
The Philippine economy
was earlier reported to have grown by 6.4 percent in the first quarter,
but this was revised to 6.3 percent later on.
GDP growth in the
first half of the year, without the anticipated revision in the second
quarter, already averaged 6.1 percent or more than the 5-percent to
6-percent GDP target for 2012.
Mr. Aquino said while
the global economy was “in a bad situation,” confidence in the
Philippine economy was “very, very high,” as reflected in the
performance of the stock market, which had posted 27 record levels under
his watch.
“So many of the
problems previously thought of [as] being impossible in terms of
solution seem to just really need a little time to be able to…effect
changes,” he added.
To show the changes in
the country since he took over, the President cited the rice-supply
situation, and infrastructure development before and during his
administration.
He said the Arroyo
administration left him with a P177-billion debt because of excessive
rice importation and a badly planned P30-billion bridge program.
From excessive rice
importation, Mr. Aquino added, the country was on track in attaining
rice self-sufficiency and may even become a rice exporter by next year,
and had reduced the cost of infrastructure projects, such as the Araneta
Avenue-Quezon Avenue underpass from P690 million to P430 million and
completed 100 days ahead of schedule.
He said disaster
mitigation and preparedness improved under his watch and that by next
year, the Department of Education (DepEd) would be able to fully address
the 66,800-classroom shortage that the Arroyo administration left
behind.
The President,
apparently referring to officials of the previous administration, added
that those who had wronged the country should be held accountable.
“We can hold
accountable those people who have wronged our people. They have to pay
so that we can ensure that no one would emulate them,” he said.
Mr. Aquino shared a
text joke that took a jab at the former President, which he said had
made him laugh a lot when he received it.
“The joke [goes that]
our corrupt countrymen in the Philippines have expensive cars but if
they want to escape, they use a wheelchair,” he said.
Ahead of the 2013
elections, the President appealed to Filipino voters to choose
candidates who have platforms, and who can show that they can deliver on
their promises.
“Let us choose someone
who does not only sing and dance well, who has not only appeared in a
telenovela, but someone with a platform…and had shown in his track
record that he can deliver on his promises,” he said.
Mr. Aquino added that
the candidate might be someone who was not very popular or even shy and
did not promote his achievements as much as other candidates, but had
depth and, for this reason, should be supported over others who seemed
to be “very good at presenting themselves.”
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