Gian Alexi Chua 9 - Responsibility This house believes that life is getting better for the Filipinos.

Opening Government I. Argument

9 August 5, 2013

The Philippine is experiencing great social and economic improvements brought about by new laws and improvements implemented by the government which will help improve quality of living of Filipinos. II. Analysis Through these many programs and reforms, this house believes that the Philippines is on the way to a better and brighter life. To begin with, the country is experiencing a great development in business will mean that there will be more jobs available to our countrymen. More jobs means more Filipinos working; and thus less poverty. The increase in exports is also a good sign because it means we are earning more as a country and it also means that foreign countries appreciate our products. If our income is improving, we can make more Filipinos lives better. Only recently, K-12 system was implemented in the country. This is also a great opportunity to improve the lives of Filipinos. Not only will it provide sufficient knowledge to students to prepare them for work, it will also make our country's workers more globally competitive and be as good as workers from other countries. The next generation will have more mastery of skills and will hopefully be more educated because of the change in the curriculum. People often ignore it, but improving the our resources is an important factor of improving the lives of our countrymen. Especially in crowded regions like Metro Manila, pollution can hinder Filipinos from experiencing a good lifestyle. That is why the government is currently working hard to protect our natural resources, and that will hopefully contribute in improving the standards of living of the Filipinos. This includes lessening air pollution and waste disposal. I believe that the government is doing a good job of thinking up of more and more ways to improve the state of living of Filipinos. If everyone works hard and do their part in building the nation, poverty may be a thing of the past. It may not be immediately apparent, but evidence show that we are slowly on the rise. III. Example Through the course of the Aquino administration, the Philippines has increased government spending which means that theyre funding public services and keeping our economy running. The Philippine economy has been on a steady path of economic expansion, growing at an average annual rate above 4.5 percent over the past five years. The government has made some reforms to enhance the business sector and generate more jobs for Filipino workers. Also, the total exports increased from $4.408B to $4.89B while the imports decreased from $5.24 to $5.14. That means we are exporting more than we are importing.

The government has also recently devoted a lot of resources to deliver social services to those lacking access to health care and education. Under the Philippine Development Plan, the country aims to halve the poverty rate from 33.1 percent in 1991, to 16.6 percent by 2015. This goal can be achieved provided that determined efforts are undertaken. In the case of education, there has been a recent major change in the educational system in the form of the K-12 plan, which is aimed to strengthen childhood education and develop middle-level skills in entrepreneurship and employment. Another main point in the Philippine Development Plan is the conservation, protection, and rehabilitation of natural resources. DENR aims to do more tree planting activities and give more stringent policies against air pollution. As a result, the air pollution apparently decreased by 32% in 2011. Projects like Adopt a Waterway and Plastic Recovery program aims to decrease waste especially in populated areas. The government is also aiming to improve the slums through National Slum Upgrading Strategy that will set the targets for slum upgrading programs which addresses the housing problem particularly the increase in informal settlers. References 2014-2015. The K to 12 Basic Education Program. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines | National Government Portal Edited at the Office of the President of the Philippines Under Commonwealth Act No. 638. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.gov.ph/k-12 Chapter 1. Philippine Development Plan. Retrieved July 12, 2013, from www.neda.gov.ph/PDP/2011-2016/CHAPTER%201.pdf Chapter 3. Philippine Development Plan. Retrieved July 12, 2013, from www.neda.gov.ph/PDP/2011-2016/CHAPTER%203.pdf Home | National Statistics Office. Home | National Statistics Office. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.census.gov.ph The Philippines Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption. Conservative Policy Research and Analysis. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.heritage.org/index/country/phi