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RESIGNATION. A file photo of the Secretary for Socioeconomic Planning Ernesto Pernia. Screenshot by Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Senior Economist Ernesto Pernia resigned as secretary of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) on Friday, April 17, amid the fury coronavirus pandemic.
After nearly 4 years in the service, Pernia decided to leave the post due to “differences” in development philosophy with other Cabinet officials, and what he said were other personal reasons. President Rodrigo Duterte accepted Pernia’s resignation the same day.
An experienced economist, Pernia worked as a chief economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) before being appointed head of NEDA. He is also professor emeritus of economics at the University of the Philippines.
Pernia earned her doctorate from the University of California in 1976. She has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, USA. USA And a degree in economics from the University of San Carlos in Cebu. His specializations include development economics, demographic and human resource economics, urban and regional economics, and macroeconomics.
From forwarding the full implementation of the reproductive health (RH) law to opposing federalism, this is how Pernia has acted as head of socioeconomic planning since 2016.
May 2016
Incoming Philippine President Duterte designated Pernia as secretary of socioeconomic planning.
As part of Duterte’s economic team, Pernia helped design the government Economic agenda of 8 points, which promotes inclusive growth and aims to reduce poverty in the Philippines.
Pernia also supported the “fast and sustained implementation” of the RH law and said it would be part of Duterte’s economic priorities.
June 2016
NEDA released Ambisyon Natin 2040, a study that summarizes the long-term collective vision and aspirations of Filipinos for the country in the next 25 years. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Ernesto Pernia at Ambisyon Natin 2040)
Jul 2016
Pernia said he would propose to Duterte to sign an executive order (EO) that will urge local government units (LGU) to fully implement the RH law. He said that poverty reduction in the Philippines had been “Really very slow” because policy makers had only prioritized job creation and not population policy.
Duterte signed an EO that guarantees support for family planning in January 2017.
December 2016 to January 2017
Pernia, along with other cabinet secretaries Carlos Domínguez III and Benjamin Diokno, advised Duterte to reject the bill that would give a general increase of P2,000 in the monthly pension of members of the Social Security System (SSS).
In December 2017, Pernia said that an increase in SSS pension increase also need an increase in contribution. (READ: Why increasing SSS pensions is not so simple)
Duterte approved an increase of P1,000 in the January 2017 SSS pension: half of the increase proposed by lawmakers.
February 2017
Along with Diokno and Domínguez, Pernia advised against the free enrollment policy at state universities and colleges. Instead, they lobbied to fully fund the Unified System of Student Financial Assistance for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) as an alternative for “non-poor” students.
March 2017
NEDA “Fully Compatible” the tax reform plan of the Department of Finance.
“In fact, the finance department consulted us closely when it was drawn up, so there really are no doubts or reservations about the tax package,” said Pernia.
September 2017
Pernia 100% proposed foreign ownership In certain areas, it will be allowed to boost foreign direct investment that flows to the Philippines. He said more investment areas It should be given to the retail, commerce, professions, utilities and contractors sectors.
“I want to be more aggressive and be on par with other ASEAN countries,” he said.
May 2018
Amid rising consumer prices, Pernia said, “Let’s just tighten our belts. Since it’s already there, let’s live with it. It’s a short-term pain for a long-term gain.” (READ: What Duterte, economic managers said about the poor)
June 2018
Pernia was criticized by labor groups, lawmakers and the public for saying at a press conference that a P42,000 budget in one month is enough for a family of 5 to live decently. He later clarified that those numbers were not official NEDA estimates and were “the most important thing.”
Pernia explained that he reached that figure by assuming that there are two people working in the family who earn at least P21,000 each.
July 2018
Pernia said that switching to federalism would “Wreak havoc” about the Philippine economy. He explained that the development of infrastructure in the regions would be interrupted and that the regions at this point were not ready for this change in the government system.
August 2018
NEDA launched its good governance website, which features various socioeconomic indices, including the Philippines’ rankings for ease of doing business, economic freedom, perceptions of corruption, and global competitiveness.
September 2018
Pernia predicted that the Philippines would become a upper middle income country for 2019, joining the ranks of China, Thailand, Malaysia.
He later reviewed this in July 2019 and said that the Philippines is likely to become a upper middle income country by 2020.
March 2019
Pernia proposed a “Water Department” in the midst of the growing water crisis. He explained that having an agency that centralizes all activities related to water resources, supply and distribution would prevent the country from experiencing water supply problems.
August 2019
To enhance the disappointing growth in the Philippines’ GDP in 2019 after rising inflation in 2018, Pernia listed 5 steps the government should take That can help improve the economy.
October 2019
Pernia said NEDA cut the government list of important projects under the Build Build Build program from 75 to 37. He explained that some projects are too expensive and difficult to design.
March 2020
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, NEDA released a report outlining steps LGUs can take to slow the spread of the infection while ensuring that essential services are still provided.
“The key to a successful medical response is comprehensive testing,” said Pernia.
April 2020
Pernia resigned as head of socioeconomic planning. It was replaced by Undersecretary of Finance Karl Chua as acting secretary. (READ: Who is Karl Chua, the new acting secretary of NEDA?) – Rappler.com
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