00:00 The National Economic and Development Authority and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. have held a joint meeting.
00:09 Let's hear from Kenneth Paciente live. Kenneth.
00:18 The current administration's infrastructure projects are advancing rapidly.
00:28 The NEDA Board, together with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,
00:33 approved some high-impact initiatives.
00:36 Among them is the proposed EO that will make the process of licenses,
00:42 clearance and permits for the government's infrastructure flagship projects or IFPs faster.
00:47 Under the EO, government agencies are being encouraged to be the LGUs
00:53 that will simplify the processes and requirements for the so-called IFPs.
00:58 EO facilitates electronic applications or application submissions to the concerned agencies
01:07 and local government units or LGUs, including the payments and issuance of receipts.
01:13 The EO encourages a whole-of-government approach by directing national government agencies
01:20 to automate and computerize their databases.
01:23 The EO also approved the ARTA to monitor the compliance of the agencies.
01:30 According to Balisacan, the DANR is also included in the NEDA Board Committee on Infrastructure or Infracom
01:36 to ensure that while building infrastructure projects, the environment will still be taken care of.
01:43 The National Government Local Government Unit Cost Sharing Scheme was also discussed
01:49 to ensure that the projects are properly managed.
01:52 Policy updates, the Marcos administration reaffirms its commitment
01:58 to aggressively advance in infrastructure development
02:01 in order to enable social and economic transformation
02:05 and support the attainment of our development goals in the medium term.
02:10 On the issue of stopping the operation of the POGOs in the country,
02:15 the NEDA said that the agency supports it.
02:18 Balisacan explained that the government wants legitimate investment,
02:23 investments that will not yield negative results.
02:27 We have been moving around all over, in many countries, cities, attracting investment to the country,
02:37 marketing our country as a good place to do business.
02:42 We are not going around to attract business of this kind.
02:48 We want investments, inflows that will promote not only the economic
02:57 but also the social aspects of our development.
03:01 But what about the POGOs that will lose their revenue?
03:07 Balisacan insists that it can earn the country.
03:11 I think we do. Look at Thailand, look at Indonesia,
03:17 look at all these other countries around us.
03:19 They don't depend on those kind of businesses.
03:25 Aljo said that NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan personally recommends
03:32 to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ban these POGOs in the country.
03:37 Here is the latest. Back to you, Aljo.
03:39 Thank you very much Kenneth Paciente.
