Biz groups back Alfredo Pascual’s confirmation as DTI chief

Business groups are rallying behind and endorsing the confirmation of Alfredo Pascual as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) expressed support for the confirmation of Pascual to be at the helm of the DTI.

Last week, the powerful Commission on Appointments on Tuesday suspended the deliberations on Pascual’s ad interim appointment.

PCCI president George Barcelon, ECOP president Edgardo Lacson, and PhilExport chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said “the DTI needs a capable leader as the Philippine economy is aiming to rebound from the pandemic and gears up to a more volatile situation brought about by geo-political tensions, changing trade and investment patterns, and the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

“Cognizant of all these challenges, we have expressed our support early in this administration for the President’s appointment of Secretary Pascual to DTI. His appointment to the job has received a resounding cheer from the country’s business and scientific community. We continue to believe that his well-known visionary leadership, outstanding credentials, and solid experience in the fields of education, business, and finance make him the best person to steer DTI towards being a major catalyst of job creation, economic transformation, and post-pandemic growth,” the three business leaders said.

Barcelon, Lacson, and Ortiz said they are supporting Pascual’s industrial policy of harnessing innovation and digital transformation towards changing the Philippine industrial landscape combining inclusivity, dynamism and competitiveness.

The business leaders added that they also support Pascual's goal of upsizing the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promoting regional industrialization, enhancing ease of doing business, addressing skills mismatch, attracting investments, expanding exports, and enhancing consumer protection as these are the ways to enhance Philippine industries and accelerate the country's post-pandemic economic growth.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), likewise, said in a statement that Pascual has the expertise to implement the DTI’s mandate to fulfill the country’s goal of becoming a globally competitive' innovative' industry and services sector to generate inclusive growth and employment generation.

“We believe that with his extensive experience and expertise, Dr. Pascual will be able to professionally and competently pursue the DTI's mandate of realizing the country's goal of globally competitive and innovative industry and services sector that contribute to inclusive growth and employment generation,” said MAP president Rogelio Singson.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc (FFCCCII) echoed the same sentiments.

FFCCCII president Henry Lim Bon Liong said Pascual has the “exemplary intellectual, professional, business and moral qualifications” to lead the DTI in supporting globally-competitive, innovative, sustainable and inclusive Philippine economic growth.”

Meanwhile, the DTI-Employees Union, composed of the DTI’s rank and file employees, also threw their unwavering support to the appointment of Pascual as DTI secretary.

“In his five-month stewardship of the DTI, he has provided the strong and steady hand in steering the DTI from its traditional ways of working into one marked by more strategic, more responsive and technology-driven initiatives. He has shown objectivity, dedication, competence, independence and integrity, which are critical elements of an effectively functioning government office mandated to realize the country’s goal of a globally competitive and innovative industry and services sector that contribute to inclusive growth and employment generation,” said DTI-EU national president Noel Guillermo Zapata.

Zapata said Pascual “manifested management acumen and proven commitment to excellence, he would be able to spur and sustain organizational agility both within DTI and work with the rest of the government agencies toward a more responsive, productive and ethical public service.”

The Board of Investments Employees Association (BOIEA) through its president Demosthenes Perez Jr. also echoed the same sentiments, “At this crucial time, more than eloquence and judgement, we need changes and reforms and we sincerely believe Mr. Pascual is tailor-fit for the job.”

The DTI secretary, who has been awaiting his CA confirmation, also received support from various business groups such as the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), PCCI Catanduanes, Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Region XI Chapter) Inc., and PhilExport Aklan Chapter Inc. —KG, GMA Integrated News