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Secretary Coloma made the statement when asked to compare the country's
conditions today to conditions two decades ago. He was also asked to
comment on the changing views of Filipinos on the Catholic faith.
For the past several years, Filipinos have become more hospitable to a broader
range of views and options, he said, noting that several reforms have been
implemented in the Philippines.
"We have also gone into reforms, such as the responsible parenthood and
reproductive health bill. Perhaps, that is also something that is worth noting as
a departure from the situation in 1995," he said.
Another significant change is the increase in the country's population, he said,
emphasizing that in 1995, there were less than 68 million people, compared to
100 million Filipinos today.
A huge number of people is an asset to the country, he said, adding that the
Philippines finds itself in a demographic sweet spot, where a big percentage of
the population belongs to the youth, an economically productive sector.
"At the same time, this provides our country a very valuable resource for
implementing our development programs," he said.
"As these segments of the population prosper, we are also creating a healthier
economy, a broader consumer mass base that could provide the propulsion for
sustained growth."
In a separate letter during the holidays, Espino said his efforts since 2007 has
paid off as Pangasinan is now number one in tourism, health, agriculture,
employment, environment protection, youth and sports and many other fields.
However, to attain progress, the government has to provide the people both
physical infrastructure and intellectual capacity for them to become more
productive, Coloma explained, noting that this is the focus of the
administration.
But he reminded that the success is not only for the present generation but also
for the youth who will be the future leaders.
For instance, in the P2.6-trillion 2015 national budget, the biggest allocation
goes to socio-economic development and social protection, Coloma noted.
The conventional wisdom was that government could just focus on attaining
macroeconomic targets like GDP growth, and hope that there will be a ripple
effect that would lift the poor out of poverty, he said.
The administration has changed its approach, he pointed out, adding that now,
there is a purposive and deliberate effort to take the fruits of economic
development directly to the doorstep of Filipino families living in poverty.