Healthcare, food security to take center stage in Philippine Development Plan update — NEDA exec

Measures on health care and food security will take the center stage at the update of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) moving forward, in efforts to address issues brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to officials of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), it is now updating the PDP to factor in the impact of COVID-19.

"A midterm update has started already prior to COVID and was about to be completed, but to be more relevant what we decided is to postpone the release and to revisit the whole PDP update in light of COVID," Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said during a congressional hearing on Thursday.

"We still have the higher-order vision of Matatag, Maginhawa, and Panatag na Buhay but immediate objective under the updated PDP will now focus on a healthy and more resilient Philippines," he added.

The six-year PDP was approved in February 2017, covering the period up to 2022. It was due for a midterm update prior to the pandemic, which has been postponed to take into account impacts of the disease.

"In terms of the economy, I think the idea going forward is we have to put more emphasis on the entire agricultural or food value chain next to our healthcare system," said Chua.

"This basic attention to agriculture would be able to give us minimum confidence that at least the most basic needs are made available at affordable prices," he added.

The PDP is the framework for measures to be taken to achieve the AmBisyon Natin 2040, which details the "simple and comfortable life" aspired for by Filipinos.

With the pandemic having significant impacts on both health and the economy, NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said there will be challenges in achieving the AmBisyon Natin 2040.

"With respect to the COVID-19, nakita namin ang pinakamacha-challenge really is having the long and health life, having the comfortable lifestyle, and actually down the road 'yung social din ang magiging problema natin," she said.

"In any case, sa health and food security ang magiging priority dito sa updated PDP," added Edillon.

Among the specific measures seen to be taken are strengthening the country's healthcare system and the focus on the entire food value chain in the short term.

"Ito kaagad ang pagtutuunan ng pansin," she said, noting that the technology sector will also play a big part moving forward.

As of Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the Philippines has recorded a total of 38,511 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. This includes 10,438 recoveries and 1,270 deaths. — RSJ, GMA News