MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino administration will open today the 2011 Philippines Development Forum (PDF) which will be co-chaired by the government through the Department of Finance and the World Bank.
President Aquino is scheduled to address the forum to be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.
With the theme, “Implementing President Aquino’s Social Contract to Achieve Inclusive Growth,” the forum will be hosted and chaired by the Philippine government and co-chaired by the World Bank.
This year’s meeting is the first under the new administration.
The PDF brings together government, multilateral agencies and civil society organizations.
The forum evolved from the Consultative Group Meetings of the past and has become a primary mechanism for facilitating dialogue among stakeholders on the country’s development agenda.
It also serves as a venue for forging consensus and generating commitments and support among stakeholders on key areas in the government’s reform agenda.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, chairman of the PDF, said that he is looking forward to a fruitful discussion and engagement with development partners and other stakeholders.
“The PDF gives the government a good opportunity to present our priorities so support from development partners can be aligned to these. This way, we can work in a more coordinated and targeted manner to provide greater prosperity to our people,” Purisima said.
For his part, World Bank Country Director Bert Hofman said: “This PDF is of special significance because it is the first under President Benigno Aquino’s administration. We are keen to know how the development community could support the proposed operationalization of President Aquino’s ‘Social Contract with the Filipino People’ through the Philippines Development Plan.”
Scheduled to present the government’s Philippines Development Plan are Finance Secretary Purisima, Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr., Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.
More than 200 participants from national government agencies, local government units, development partners community, private sector, civil society, and the academe are expected to attend.