Business groups tell presidentiables: Make good on campaign promises

MANILA, Philippines - Local business leaders are asking the 2016 presidential candidates to take action on the sweet promises they made to the business community should one of them win in the upcoming elections.

Business groups present in the presidential panel discussion during the  41st Philippine Business Conference yesterday, said they were pleased with the plans laid out by presidentiables Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Jejomar Binay, Mar Roxas, and Grace Poe, but urged them to “walk  the talk.”

“What we can say is we will record what they promised to us and if they win, we will hold them accountable for what they promised,” Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis said in an interview.

“Almost all of them said the same things.  They told a lot of promises but what we are looking at as a businessman and as a citizen is for them to take action on these. What you say, do it,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Alfredo Yao added.

Among the common topics presented by the four presidentiables include addressing corruption in the government, improvement of infrastructure, economic liberalization, and tax reforms.

The business groups, however, said there were other major concerns that require immediate attention that were not tackled by the presidential candidates.

“I was just looking for something. I thought since 99.6 percent of our enterprises are micro, small and medium enterprises, I would have thought that they would have spent more time on that issue, especially on the issue of financing. I would have thought that they would have also talked about export since we’re lagging behind but unfortunately none of them tackled it,” Ortiz-Luis said.

For Yao, he said changes in the country’s judicial system was what he was looking for.

“A lot of impediments are being brought about by the judicial side, especially on infrastructure. We have to do something about it,” he said.

“What I am looking for in a leader is someone who has the political will…somebody who has the political will to do it, whether the decision is popular or unpopular. If you think that’s right, then do it,” Yao said.