Aquino sees four fronts on development

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said on Sunday that there will be four fronts the Aquino administration will be mentioning on President Benigno Aquino III's third State of the Nation Address this Monday.

Abad said that Aquino administration's gains on four fronts are: curbing corruption, poverty alleviation, increased infrastructure projects and regaining investor confidence.

He said that the most recent remarkable attainment was the International Monetary Fund's enhanced growth forecast for the country.

It was just one of the many positive developments on the economic front, apart from credit rating upgrades, according to Abad.

The Budget Secretary said that the President sees the outlook bright on the four fronts. There has been undeniable recognition, both here and abroad, that we have attained significant strides in these four fronts.

He added that the dare to the administration is to deepen the developments toward a virtuous cycle of sustained growth, prosperity and peace which they wish to sustain until 2016, when Aquino steps down from office.

For the poverty alleviation, Aquino administration is now in quest of a Php 6-billion augment in its Php 39-billion 2012 funds for the conditional cash transfer for the poorest of the poor.

While the tourism front, tourist arrivals augmented this year and improved confidence in the business sector, where government officials have been inviting local and foreign investments. — ARA