Duterte needs the 2019 mid-term elections like another shot of fentanyl in the arm. Surveys indicate a consistent downward trend of his trust and popularity ratings. Of course, in the next few surveys before 2018, several close businessmen will make sure that those ratings do not fall precariously in the fifties or forties levels since that would mean something else.
Actually even before we talk about 2019, we need to survive the challenges of 2018. 2018 is crucial for everybody. One, we will now feel the effects of the mismanagement of the economy. We will feel the economic crunch brought about by this new tax reform bill, the absence of foreign investments, the rising costs of goods and services, the weakness of our monetary and financial systems, the slow down of remittances, the low agricultural performance, the effects of the peso-dollar exchanges in the export industry, the rampant smuggling and graft and corruption of the Duterte administration.
The full effects of the Marawi siege will likewise cause us national misery what with expectations of the full costs of rehabilitation now hovering within the trillion peso mark.
These will all affect us by next year. We will get the full brunt of our decision to trust populist leaders to manage our affairs by 2018.
The middle class will be hit the hardest by next year, the sector who rants and applaud Mr. Duterte for doing the things he is doing.
Government is bruiting that trillion peso budget and that build, build, build plan to pull us out of these challenges. NEDA chair Pernia is sure that it will.
Of course, he is not telling us, how much interests are attached on those Chinese and Japanese loans and Pernia will never admit how impactful those EU loans without interests are, now in jeopardy of us losing it due to Duterte's so-called brilliant handling of foreign affairs.
By the way, in my next blog, I shall discuss the so-called gains we got from those ASEAN and APEC summits which we spent close to 2 billion pesos.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you very much for reading my blog. You inspired me. But if you intend to put your name "anonymous", better not comment at all. Thanks!