Dev't aid sought for expansion of DTI programs

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led by Secretary Gregory Domingo presented the Development Cooperation Framework (DCF) 2011-2016 to multilateral and bilateral aid partners for areas of collaboration, project development, and resource generation initiatives of 70 identified programs and projects of the department.

“We are committed to contribute to the overarching goal of inclusive growth and poverty reduction of the Aquino administration,” said Domingo.

Consistent with the policies and assistance frameworks of the donor agencies, the framework document supports the objectives and strategies explained in the Chapter on Competitiveness of Industry and Services (I&S) Sector in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 and in the DTI Roadmap, the organizational directions and priorities.

Under the PDP, the Industry and Services sector aims to have an improved business environment, increased productivity and efficiency and enhanced consumer welfare with the overall vision of being globally competitive and innovative contributing to inclusive growth and employment generation.

The said framework also serves as a tool for DTI and the donor agencies on development efforts that would require funding outside of budgetary support from the government. “DTI receives an average annual budget of two and a half billion pesos to finance activities enabling businesses to grow and empowering more consumers but that is not enough to what DTI can still do to meet our objectives,” added Domingo.

Based on EO 133, the DTI is mandated to expand Philippine exports, develop industries and increase investments, develop and promote the country’s MSMEs, and ensure consumer’s welfare and protection. This is further carried out as Major Final Outputs (MFOs) as the backbone of the framework.

Consequently, upon implementing these organizational outcomes with development partners, public and private sectors, civil society, cross-cutting principle and strategies of good governance, gender equality, corporate social responsibility, climate change, migration, science, ICT, communication of results, results-based management, participatory planning, and human rights approach will be addressed as its link to other areas of cooperation in the framework.

Ultimately, good governance prevails both as a principle and a strategy for improved institutional and individual capabilities in order to deliver services efficiently to the public. Other than the organizational outcome at the bottom as areas of cooperation, the framework proceeded spanning forward from Industry and Services Sectoral economic goals, governance goals, to societal goals which are inclusive growth and poverty reduction as its main vision for the PDP.

The framework also adheres to cooperation principles of supportive and complementary nature of collaboration, impact results on organizational outcomes and outputs, effective and efficient utilization of resources and participatory, inclusive and transparent process.