TO Ms. Catherine Pillas and Jovee Marie dela Cruz,
Congratulations on your well-written special report on the latest failed attempt on economic Cha-Cha (Charter change).
For your possible interest, and in connection with related topics on “economic necessities,” attached herewith is a copy of a position paper on the steel-industry road map covering the period 2014 to 2028. This paper was officially submitted by the Men of Steel (explained in Section I therein) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)—particularly to the Technical Working Group in charge of the steel sector—to help the DTI staff with their multisectoral road-mapping exercises.
With the upcoming Association of Asean market integration, Section IV (Philippines vs. Selected Asean Countries) might be of particular interest, i.e., how can the Philippines differ drastically from other comparable economies in the region?
Do we know something that they don’t, or is it the other way around? Perhaps, the significant disparity in their FDI levels is a major factor as to why the Philippine steel industry has fallen behind its Asean counterparts.
Your readers might be unaware of the current steel-industry situation, which signals another possible future problem.
From Rojando S. Narciso
rsnarciso@gmail.com.