As he praised the new PMDP graduates, NEDA Secretary Balisacan emphasized the importance of public sector leaders in supporting good governance.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) highlighted the roles of public sector leaders and managers, which is crucial for the country’s economic recovery.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan praised the graduates' vital role in governance and policymaking during the Development Academy of the Philippines' (DAP) 25th Graduation Ceremony of the Public Management Development Program (PMDP).
The PMDP, which began in 2012, is a rigorous program that offers comprehensive and multi-modal learning opportunities to public managers. Balisacan was among those who advocated for the formation of the PMDP during his first term at NEDA. This year, 70 students from batches 26 and 27 graduated, with ten from NEDA and its affiliated agencies.
“You are important drivers of change and innovation within the bureaucracy, as you identify issues and seek to design solutions within tight constraints. Your role as middle managers is vital in upholding good governance, which includes the elements of good planning and promoting efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the execution of such plans,” Balisacan said.
The country is currently on its way to recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic with the economy showing a 5.7 percent return in GDP growth in 2021 and a 7.8 percent average growth rate in the first half of 2022.
These are encouraging signs that our economy's recovery is proving to be robust, as the country gradually returns to its pre-pandemic growth track.
Despite the recovery, there are still challenges that the government needs to overcome like domestic and external risks and a very tight fiscal space which may constrain the country’s growth in the coming six years.
However, Balisacan is hopeful that with the right priorities and policies, the government can still emerge strong and capable of carrying out the administration's socioeconomic agenda, which includes the tactics and policies outlined in the next Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
“With your cooperation and expertise, we hope to have a thoughtfully crafted development plan that will ensure that scarce government resources and investments are channeled toward the right programs, projects, and activities that will best achieve the country’s collective goals and objectives,” he concluded.
Tags: #NEDA, #DAP, #PMDP, #PublicSector, #GoodGovernance, #PDP