Updating the President and giving him advice on the current challenges sectoral groups are facing will be the Private Sector Advisory Council's (PSAC) main goal under the new administration.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. recently tapped business leaders to help the government in meeting its economic objectives across five main sectoral groups.
The group will be tasked to focus on infrastructure and tourism, agriculture, vaccination and jobs generation, digital infrastructure, and healthcare.
"Ang role namin dito (Our roles here) is basically to update the President sa mga (on the) challenges natin ‘no (we are facing)," former presidential adviser and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, who is a member of the newly-established PSAC, said during a press briefing Monday, July 18.
Marcos has tapped Concepcion for vaccination and jobs generation. He also tapped Sabin Aboitiz of the Aboitiz Group, for infrastructure and tourism; Aileen Uygongco-Ongkauko of La Filipina Uy Gongco Corporation & Subsidiaries, for agriculture; Henry Aguda of City Savings, for digital infrastructure, and; Paolo Borromeo, of Ayala Healthcare Holdings, for healthcare. Aboitiz has been designated as Council chairperson.
At present, the council is "just being organized," Concepcion said, adding that they have yet to meet the President.
"Nag-uumpisa pa lang kami (We're just starting) and we’re consulting a number of people at iyong grupo ko (my group) will be having our second meeting, so we should be ready in about three weeks," Concepcion said.
Concepcion is also working with the Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), a group of medical doctors, scientists and academics comprising the country’s foremost authorities on public health, molecular biology, disaster resilience, data insight and analysis, and economics.
"ach group will, I believe, present to the President iyong nakikita natin na mga opportunities, nakikita nating mga problema (the opportunities and problems we are seeing) – basically on that," Concepcion said.
Concepcion and ACE came up with a pandemic exit strategy to help the country transition to normalcy. The proposal will be presented to the President.