PBBM, economic team tackle priority projects to be funded in 2025

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

During the meeting, both Romualdez and Escudero assured Marcos of Congress’ continued support for the current administration’s high-priority projects, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said. (PNA file photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convened Thursday his economic team at Malacañan Palace in Manila to discuss the administration’s priority projects that will be funded in 2025.

Marcos and the country’s economic managers deliberated on the key infrastructure and food security projects that will be prioritized next year, Malacañang Press Briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez told Palace reporters.

Oseña-Paez did not elaborate on the specifics of the priority projects of the Marcos administration for 2025.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis Escudero also joined the meeting at the Palace.

During the meeting, both Romualdez and Escudero assured Marcos of Congress’ continued support for the current administration’s high-priority projects, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

“The President wanted to get the assurance that the priority projects of this administration, projects that have been so well identified as critical to achieving that social and economic transformation that it wants to achieve in the medium term are funded in 2025 and that is sustained also in the coming years,” Balisacan said in a Palace press briefing after the meeting at Malacañan.

“We all agreed, the leadership of Congress agreed that we need to ensure that the projects of this administration of the President in relation to the high-priority projects aimed at achieving [or] attaining the goals and targets in the Philippine Development Plan are achieved,” he added.

Balisacan said the priority projects for next year are seen to enhance food security and improve the economic climate by developing the infrastructure sector.

Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said the executive branch is “in sync” with Congress to achieve the government’s socioeconomic goals.

She also expressed optimism about new foreign investments, following the S&P Global Rating’s affirmation of the Philippines’ “BBB+” credit rating and outlook upgrade from “stable” to “positive.”

“This high credit rating will really encourage a lot of confidence for the international investors to come into our country and, so far, there is a lot of interest in our country,” Roque said.