ShareThisPalace happy
as GDP growth
expected at 7%
MANILA (Pinoynews)– Nine out of 10 or 93 percent of Filipinos are facing the year 2011 with hope. It was higher than the 89 percent of 2009.
This was shown in a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) from November 27 to 30.
SWS earlier reported that 69 percent of Filipinos were expecting a happier holiday season this year, which was higher compared to the average happiness rate at 62 to 64 percent recorded in the last six years.
Malacañang immediately expressed elation over the survey results which is near the record high of 95 percent in 2002.
This developed as the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) predicted a 7 percent GDP growth for next year.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director General Cayetano Paderanga said that the Philippines is likely exceed its economic growth target this year, but warned of a slowdown next year because of a “quite fragile” economic recovery.
Paderanga said that “the full year GDP [gross domestic product] growth will likely surpass the five percent to six percent target for 2010.”
GDP is the total value of final goods and services produced in the country.
Paderanga, said that he is still optimistic that the country will achieve the seven percent to eight percent growth target next year due to the reforms that President Aquino is putting into place and the investments from the public-private partnership (PPP).
In another development, the Philippines’ balance of payments (BOP) surplus rose to US$ 3.3 billion at the third quarter this year, up almost 50 percent from US$ 2.2 billion a year ago, according to Director Rosabel Guerrero of the Department of Economic Statistics of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Guerrero said the country’s “favorable external payments position was accompanied by the strong performance of both the current and capital and financial accounts.”
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda thanked the Filipino people for the show of trust and confidence in the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III.
“We thank the Filipino people for their trust… they view our government as an engine of hope. What we promised during the campaign, the eradication of graft and corruption will bear fruit, so that is something that we are going to fulfill. Again we are very elated with the survey results,” Lacierda said.
The Social Weather Station (SWS) poll conducted Nov. 27 to 30 revealed that nine out of 10 or 93 percent of Filipinos are facing the coming year 2011 with hope, just two points off the 95 percent peak registered in December 2002.
Those who said they would start the year “with fear” was only seven percent, down from last year’s 11 percent.
The SWS said optimism was widespread across all areas and shared by all socioeconomic classes.
It improved to 96 percent from 87 percent in Metro Manila; to 94 percent from 90 percent in Balance Luzon [Luzon minus Metro Manila]; to 97 percent from 88 percent in Visayas; and to 89 percent from 87 percent in Mindanao.
By socioeconomic classes, the number of those expressing hopefulness rose to 97 percent from 91 percent among the class ABC; 95 percent from 89 percent among the class D or masa; and 89 percent from 87 percent among the class E.
Considering the latest welcome development, Lacierda noted that the people, especially the poor could expect more from the government.
He said that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs of the government will move forward more aggressively targeting to benefit at least 2.5 million households in 2011.
“We need to address the concerns of the poor and poverty reduction is only one of them”, Lacierda said.
“The budget that we had envisioned and which had been approved is something which we had in mind and we intend to implement all the programs and policies of President Aquino”, he added.