DAVAO CITY—Although President-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte has not completed the necessary appointments, presumptive members of his Cabinet started talking about their plans of action on Monday.
Top on the list was designated economic planner Ernesto Pernia, who was named socio-economic planning secretary and head of the National Economic and Development Authority.
Pernia said in a television that Duterte’s economic program will focus on cutting governmental red tape and addressing infrastructure problems, including traffic, to encourage more job generation.
The former Asian Development Bank economist also echoed Duterte’s declaration on Sunday that his administration would pursue a “rapid and sustained implementation” of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
“If you enable families to limit and phase their children to what they can afford and what they can provide for, then that’s going to have an effect on poverty and inequality,” Pernia said.
Designated agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol also reported on what he called an ongoing “Biyaheng Bukid [farm visits]” and vowed to intensify government intervention in agriculture, citing Samar as a model.
“A lot of areas in the country that are yet to get government attention, I saw people queuing for water but beside the sources of water were covered courts with names of politicians that do not directly benefit the poor,” Piñol told reporters.
Piñol said there appears to be “twisted mindset” in local governance that do not directly address poverty.
“This is the same illness which brought back my home province, North Cotabato, to the ignominious club of poorest provinces in the country from a lofty rating of No. 27 among the Top 30 in previous years,” he said.”Blame it on too much local politics.”
“After President Duterte assumes office, I will go back to Samar and lead the transformation of this very rich but poor island into a major food producer for the country,” he said.
However, designated Public Works Secretary Mark Villar was busy fending off criticism of his appointment and vowed not to allow any conflict of interest between his prospective Cabinet position with the interests of his family in the property development sector.
“To be fair, I think my parents are well aware of conflicts of interest. I don’t think they will engage. Those fears are unfounded,” Villar said, referring to former Senate President Manny Villar and Senator Cynthia A. Villar.
When asked about the possibility that his family may bid for government contracts, Villar guaranteed their companies will not do it to avoid conflict of interest.
“They will simply not bid. If there’s a clear conflict of interest then they will not engage in any conflict of interest,” he said, stressing that the companies of his family also have the “right to do business” as publicly-listed companies and complete existing contracts.
Villar’s family listed property developer Vista Land and bulk water supplier Prime Water Infrastructure, headed by his father.
The incumbent congressman of Las Piñas said Duterte asked him to make “a map of all the subdivisions to ensure transparency” and “end this criticism of us.”
He said the appointment is a “higher calling” and “the significance of this department over the next few years is great in terms of the growth of our country in the next few years.”
“Doing good in the Department of Public Works will be critical for the growth of our country in the next six years if you want to become a developed nation, so there’s a lot at stake. This job is a very high calling,” he said.
“I think youth can be an advantage. Along with youth comes a certain perspective, a different perspective, and there’s a lot of idealism… I’ve been through the private sector, the political sector. Not a lot of people can say that they have encountered both… and for me, those are big advantages and these are things I hope to take to DPWH,” he said.
“I feel that I’m ready to be of service. If I feel I can’t do a good job, then I would not have taken the post,” he further said.