Page 29 - Philippine Development Plan (2017-2022) Abridged Version

4 INCREASING GROWTH

POTENTIAL (“PATULOY

NA PAG-UNLAD”)

Over the past Plan periods, the focus of the government had been pursuing
economic growth within the term of the current leadership. For 2017-2022, the
government seeks to lay down the foundation of an economic growth that can be
further accelerated and sustained beyond the six years of the Duterte administration.

With the goal of laying down a robust foundation for a sustainable economic growth,
the Increasing Growth Potential or Patuloy na Pag-unlad pillar of the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 will employ strategies that will help in (a)
pursuing an efficient population management to enable its citizens to be productive
and engaged in economic activities and (b) promoting science, technology use, and
innovation to drive long-term growth of the economy.

Both strategies are new additions to the PDP, as the government acknowledges
the importance of harnessing the vast potential of a well-managed population
and vigorously advancing science, technology, and innovation (STI) in pursuing
sustainable economic growth.

Reaching for the Demographic Dividend

The age structure of the country’s population
matters in pursuing economic growth. In this vein,
the government intends to aggressively manage its
population such that people of working age will
comprise the bulk of the population (that results
from demographic transition). To reap what is called
the demographic dividend from this transition,
the government will ensure that this workforce
will be productive so that it can well support the
dependents comprising the young and old.
The PDP 2017-2022 aims to accelerate the demographic transition. Gains from the
demographic dividend will be maximized, with citizens kept healthy and provided
with adequate education and skills for them to be highly productive. Specific targets

Part 4 Increasing Growth Potential (“Patuloy na Pag-unlad”) | 29