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IF the
national government continues at its present pace in
achieving the targets set in the country’s economic
blueprint Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP)
2004 to 2010, many of these targets may not be realized
by the time the President steps down two years from now.
In the
latest version of the Statistical Indicators on
Philippine Development (StatDev) released by the
National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the
country needs to work harder to improve on the MTPDP
targets on the financial sector, provision of basic
health services to the poor, and in protecting Filipinos
abroad through the creation of a responsive foreign
policy.
StatDev
is a statistical indicator system to monitor the
achievements of the economic and social-development
goals set forth in the MTPDP.
The
indicators for 2004 to 2007 were compared with the MTPDP
strategies/targets to determine the achievement of
targets. This gauges the performance of the sectors
during the plan period.
The goal
for the financial sector is to increase savings-to-gross
domestic product (GDP) ratio to 30 percent by 2010
through the development of the financial market which
will show an increase in investment ratio to 28 percent
of GDP.
In terms
of increasing savings-to-GDP ratio, the NSCB said the
country still had a long way to achieve the target
ratio. From 2004 to 06, the NSCB said savings to GDP was
pegged at only 18 percent, just a little over half of
the target ratio.
The
investment ratios of the country is also not doing well
since it posted decelerated growths from 2004 to 2006,
indicating that it is, in fact, moving away from the
MTPDP target.
Another
target set in the financial sector is to keep an average
inflation rate of 4.5 percent for 2004-2006. However,
the NSCB data showed that inflation was still short by
1.7 percent of the target by the end of 2006.
Meanwhile, the target for gross value added (GVA) of
finance is 6.9 to 7.4, or an average of 7.2 percent in
2004; 6.7 percent in 2005; and 6.5 percent to 7.5
percent in 2006.
The NSCB
data showed that this has been met since there was an
unprecedented growth recorded in financial services
because of the continued acceleration in 2005, with the
actual values surpassing the targets.
“The
financial sector has grown in the last three years as
evidenced by the growth GVA. However, there are still
improvements to be done for the sector,” the NSCB said.
On the
other hand, the target set for the health sector is to
respond to the basic needs of the poor through an
improved health and nutrition status. While the past
three years have shown some progress in achieving this,
there are still several major concerns that should be
addressed by the government.
The NSCB
said the targets where the country is doing poorly are
the reduction of the maternal mortality rate to 90 per
100,000 livebirths; increasing the coverage of fully
immunized children to 95 percent by 2010; reducing
malaria morbidity rate to 24 per 100,000 population by
2010; achieving a 30-percent annual increase in
Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PHIC) accredited
rural health units (RHUs); posting a 10-percent annual
increase in the number of PHIC accredited doctors; and
increasing access to safe-water supply to 92 percent to
96 percent and sanitary toilet facilities to 86 percent
to 91 percent.
“During
the last three years, efforts through several programs
and services have been made toward the improvement of
the health and nutrition status in the country. Based on
some indicators, however, there are still a number of
concerns that should be attended to for better health
conditions of the citizenry,” the NSCB said.
In terms
of maternal mortality rate, the NSCB data showed that it
is only slightly improving, but the pace at which
progress is made to achieve it may not be enough to
reach the target by 2010.
The
increase in the percentage of fully immunized children
have also been slow. The growth has been flat at 82
percent to 83 percent in the past three years. This
target, the NSCB data showed, may not also be met by
2010.
In terms
of decreasing malaria cases in the country, the NSCB
data showed that the actual performance for 2004 and
2005 was below target. If this trend continues, the data
showed, the target may not also be met in the next two
years.
On the
other hand, the annual growth in PHIC-accredited RHUs
exhibited a decreasing trend in the last three years,
while the annual growth in number of PHIC-accredited
doctors went down abruptly in 2006.
PHIC-accredited
RHUs were at 28 percent in 2004 but gradually declined
to 26 percent in 2005 and 25 percent in 2006, while the
number of doctors accredited by PHIC dropped to a growth
of only 1 percent in 2006 from 13-percent growth in
2005.
Meanwhile, the proportion of households with access to
safe water supply decreased to levels that are way below
target and the proportion of households with access to
sanitary toilet facilities increased in 2005 but
remained below target.
In 2005
around 82 percent of households had access to safe-water
supply, which was the same level in 2003 and represented
a decline from 2004’s 83 percent.
While
the proportion of households with access to sanitary
toilet facilities has increased to 74 percent in 2006,
this was still below target. In 2004 the rate was pegged
at 75 percent and in 2005, it was at 69 percent.
On the
other hand, there is also little progress in terms of
enhancing economic security to protect the rights and
promote the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas.
Only one
target, increasing the number of business/trade missions
facilitated to expand the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) diplomatic efforts during the four-year period,
was achieved by the country.
Around
three of the targets recorded a poor performance from
the country, while the rest, the country only recorded
an average performance.
Targets
where the country performed poorly were in increasing
the number of signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs)
and memorandum of agreements (MOAs) that would
facilitate economic diplomacy efforts on top economic
posts; promotional materials and information provided to
posts; and confidence-building measures and joint
research undertaking identified and implemented.
The NSCB
data showed that the number of signed, MOUs and MOAs
increased in 2005, but remained lower in succeeding
years. In 2004 there were only two MOUs/MOAs signed,
then significantly increased to nine in 2005. In 2007
MOUs/MOAs signed was pegged at three.
In terms
of increasing the number of promotional materials and
information provided to posts, this only increased in
2007 to 1,610, after suffering big declines in 2005 and
2006. In 2004 there were as much as 2,310 materials,
but this declined significantly in 2005 and 2006 to 921
and 595 materials, respectively.
The
number of confidence-building measures and joint
research undertaking identified and implemented, on the
other hand, were on a downward trend. In 2004 there were
only two measures and joint researches done, but in 2007
there was only one done. Data from the DFA showed that
there were nine in 2005 and seven in 2006. |
