DO WE HAVE A LONG-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN?
DO WE HAVE A LONG-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN?
Do we have a long-term Philippine development
plan? The short answer is yes — but with some caveats. It goes by the name Ambisyon
Natin 2040, a vision statement introduced in 2016 by the National Economic
and Development Authority (NEDA). However, calling it a "plan" might
be a stretch, as it’s more of a wish list or aspirational statement
rather than a concrete roadmap with clear programs and policies.
Ambisyon Natin 2040 imagines a Philippines
where every Filipino enjoys a “matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay”
(a stable, comfortable, and secure life) by the year 2040. It spans four
presidential terms — from 2016 to 2040 — but the document itself offers no
clear guarantees on how successive administrations will commit to that
vision. In essence, it’s a dream, not a detailed action plan.
But, for all its limitations, having
Ambisyon Natin 2040 is still better than having nothing at all. At the very
least, it creates a broad framework that can guide government agencies,
development planners, and policymakers.
Medium-Term
Plans: The Real Action Plans
The reality, however, is that the Philippines
primarily relies on Medium-Term Philippine Development Plans (MTPDPs),
which are crafted and approved every six years to align with the term of the incumbent
President. Right now, we are operating under the Philippine Development Plan
(PDP) 2023-2028, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through Executive
Order No. 14.
Every president, in theory, “owns” the
MTPDP created during his or her term. However, one common criticism is
that these documents often end up gathering dust on shelves instead of
being faithfully followed. There is no binding mechanism that forces any
administration to strictly adhere to its own MTPDP.
The MTPDP is supposed to guide national
policies and programs, but there’s often a disconnect between what’s
on paper and what happens on the ground. Political priorities, emergencies, and
changing circumstances frequently derail the best-laid plans. What’s more, ruling
political parties rarely adopt the MTPDP as their official platform,
despite the plan’s purpose of aligning government action.
Linking
Plans to the Long-Term Vision
In theory, each MTPDP should contribute to
the realization of Ambisyon Natin 2040 — each six-year plan acting as a
building block toward the 2040 vision. But in practice, there’s little
evidence that MTPDPs are consciously crafted with Ambisyon Natin 2040 in
mind. The long-term vision often feels like an orphan project — unclaimed
and largely ignored.
The reality is that long-term planning is
difficult in a country where politics often takes precedence over continuity.
Each administration brings its own agenda, and while some elements of the MTPDP
may survive, others are discarded or revised based on the sitting
president’s priorities.
Presidential
Approval and the Role of NEDA
Legally, the President must approve and
sign off on the MTPDP, typically via an Executive Order. This step
gives the plan official status, ensuring that national agencies,
government-owned corporations, financial institutions, and even local
government units (LGUs) are expected to align their own programs and
budgets with the plan’s strategies.
This was precisely the case when President
Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 14, adopting the PDP 2023-2028.
It sets development targets and economic strategies aimed at accelerating
post-pandemic recovery, creating jobs, and reducing poverty.
Alignment
with Global Goals — and What Happens After 2030?
The MTPDP is also supposed to align with global
commitments, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
which have a target date of 2030. This raises an interesting question —
how does the government plan to transition from the SDGs (which end in 2030) to
Ambisyon Natin 2040, which ends a decade later?
There is little public discussion on
how these timelines fit together. Ideally, the SDGs should act as stepping
stones toward achieving Ambisyon Natin 2040, but without clear integration
and monitoring, there’s no guarantee that will happen.
What
Happens After 2028?
After the current PDP (2023-2028) expires, the
next plan will cover 2029-2034. But like its predecessors, it will
largely depend on the priorities of the next president. Whether or not
that future MTPDP will faithfully build toward Ambisyon Natin 2040
remains to be seen.
A Call for
Continuity
If the Philippines truly wants to achieve its
long-term vision, it must establish stronger mechanisms for policy
continuity across administrations. There needs to be:
- Institutional buy-in from
all branches and levels of government.
- Public awareness and engagement to
hold leaders accountable.
- A strong monitoring and evaluation system to track how each MTPDP contributes to Ambisyon Natin 2040.
Who Owns
Ambisyon Natin 2040?
Perhaps the biggest challenge is this: Who
truly owns Ambisyon Natin 2040? Right now, it seems like nobody —
not even NEDA, the agency that created it.
Until we have a strong sense of national
ownership over long-term plans, and a cultural shift toward policy
consistency over political convenience, Ambisyon Natin 2040 risks remaining
just that — an ambition, rather than a reality.
Ramon Ike V. Seneres,
www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com
04-02-2025
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