PCCI sets 10-resolution wish list for Marcos

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on Thursday said it is set to submit to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. a list of policy recommendations that the business community hopes his administration will act on.

The 10-resolution wish list of the PCCI will be presented to the President at the closing of the 48th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PB&E) later in the day.

Marcos will be the concluding guest of honor and speaker of the two-day PBC&E.

A copy of the policy resolutions given to members of the media showed that the business group’s top recommendation is a proposal on food security.

In particular, the PCCI is urging the national government to achieve food security by amending the Agrarian Reform Law to increase land retention limit from five to 24 hectares, implement a debt condonation program for unpaid amortizations of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, and convert Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) into simple titles.

The group’s second priority recommendation for the Marcos administration focuses on public health, particularly calling on the government to reform the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. into a science-based and transparent healthcare system and encourage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law.

The PCCI also urged the government to “work together with the private sector to reenergize the economy by supporting new investments to generate employment, provide assistance to pandemic surviving MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), amend all restrictive and punitive labor laws and enact laws that will increase productivity.”

On education, the group proposed for the amendment of the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) law to create a Philippine Qualifications Authority (PQA), which will establish and maintain qualification standards for all levels of education and training.

On national security, the government is urged to deepen cooperation with neighboring states, expand participation in regional and multilateral defense agreements while accelerating the Modernization Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The PCCI, likewise, proposed to the government the development and implementation of a nationwide internet connectivity program that is reliable and competitive by passing into law the Open Access in Data Transmission Act.

To address climate change, the group recommended public-private partnerships (PPPs) to establish world-class water and waste management infrastructure.

On power, the PCCI proposed for the acceleration of the integration of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids to enable the free flow of electricity nationwide and for the Department of Energy (DOE) to amend the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Renewable Energy Act to allow 100% foreign investment in solar and wind projects.

On the issue of transportation, the group urged the government to “provide world-class integrated transport systems and decouple the regulatory and commercial functions of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and other similarly situated transport agencies.”

On international trade, the PCCI called on the administration to “hasten the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and to join bilateral free trade agreements and trans-pacific partnerships to minimize barriers to the free flow of goods and services.”

PCCI president George Barcelon earlier said that the set of resolutions were culminated in the past four months following a series of dialogues all over the country with their members.

The resolution, according to the PCCI, “captures the collective aspirations and expectations of the Philippine business community [toward] the new administration as it steers the direction of the Philippine economy rebounding from the pandemic." —KBK, GMA News