The name game begins

After the meeting at Malacañang Palace of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board last Thursday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan announced they approved “two landmark measures” that will supposedly advance the government’s poverty reduction programs frequently set back by socioeconomic problems, climate change factors, and lately impact of pandemic.

Although Balisacan is the concurrent NEDA Director-General, the chairman of the NEDA Board is President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM). It was the fifth NEDA Board meeting since PBBM assumed office in June last year.

As approved, Balisacan disclosed PBBM will soon sign and issue an executive order (EO) to implement the tariff commitments of the Philippines under the newly Senate ratified Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP is a mega trade agreement between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their trade partners China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.

And the other measure approved by the NEDA Board, Balisacan added, would be to implement the Social Protection Floor (SPF) recommendations that spell out the strategies on providing healthcare access and “preventing poverty vulnerability.” As explained by Balisacan, the SPF aims to institutionalize the existing State programs and enhance the quality of life of “the most vulnerable” Filipinos who are receiving “social protection services” from the government.

In layman’s language, these are the same “safety nets” that technocrats in the administrations past refer as the various socioeconomic assistance of the government to the poor and indigent families, persons with disability, senior citizens, distressed overseas Filipino workers, calamity and disaster victims, and other needy people.

“Let me emphasize that today’s approval of the government Social Protection Floor is a significant progress in our country’s development history. This is a manifestation of the government’s commitment to significantly reduce poverty incidence and promote inclusive growth,” he touted.

But what literally floored me was Balisacan’s own admission. “This (SPF) framework is the result of a lengthy stakeholder and multipartite consultations that began in 2014, so ngayon lang naaprubahan itong matagal nang pinag-uusapan na social protection,” Balisacan candidly admitted.

It was indeed “history” because it took nine years, three NEDA heads, and three Presidents of the Philippines before the national government was able to put out this SPF. In the case of Balisacan, it was a full circle for him. He first became NEDA head from 2014 to 2016 during the term of the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Subsequently, Ernesto Pernia succeeded as NEDA chief during the first two years of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Pernia resigned over policy differences with ex-Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Dominguez’s erstwhile Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendric Chua was appointed to head the NEDA.

So when Balisacan got back last year to head the NEDA, he obviously dusted off the SFP from the agency’s archives. Voila!

Balisacan disclosed the Cabinet-level Social Development Committee (SDC) endorsed the approval of SPF to the NEDA Board. Among the Cabinet officials who compose the SDC include the NEDA chief; the Secretaries of the Department of Education (DepEd); the Department of Health (DOH); and, the Department of Labor and Employment; the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Vice President Sara Duterte who concurrently sits as DepEd Secretary is thus part of the SDC. The economic team of PBBM also sits down in some meetings with the SDC. They include Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual and PBBM himself as the concurrent “acting” Agriculture Secretary.

Incidentally, Malacañang submitted only last April 12 the ad interim nomination of “acting” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to the Commission on Appointments (CA). The CA did not take up Gatchalian’s nomination before they adjourned for their month-long Lenten Season break of the 19th Congress.

Which brings me to mind the so many trial balloons and speculations coming out in social media on the possible new presidential appointees to the Cabinet and other key government posts. The names mostly coming out were those of candidates who ran but lost in the May 9 national and local elections.

The obvious jockeying is because of the soon to lapse one-year appointment ban.

As of this writing, only three Departments are vacant, namely, the Agriculture; the National Defense; and, the DOH, all of which are headed by their respective senior Department undersecretary.

We won’t add to these speculations until PBBM or Malacañang announces who among them are indeed officially and actually appointed.

Meanwhile, there will be very few Cabinet members in the official visit of PBBM to the United States on April 30 to May 4. He will meet with his US counterpart, President Joe Biden at the White House. The bilateral meeting will include only Diokno and Pascual for the economic team while Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Senior Defense Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. for the defense and other bilateral concerns. The four Cabinet officials flew to Washington earlier this month, assisted by our ambassador to the US Babes Romualdez, for the spadework of the US.

From the US, PBBM and his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, will fly next to London to attend the coronation of British monarch King Charles III on May 5 to 6. It will only be our ambassador to the Court of St. James Teddyboy Locsin accompanying them. While Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin watches over Malacañang, VP Duterte heads again the caretaker committee as usual while PBBM is abroad.

Regarded as the so-called “little President,” Bersamin is among those rumored to be on the way out in the latest name game of new Cabinet.