PORT MORESBY — President Duterte has pushed for the “big brother principle” in fostering ”inclusive globalization” where rich nations empower the smaller nations.
As Pacific Rim leaders wrapped up the two-day regional summit here, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the President stressed that economic integration “should not really affect the small countries” but instead “benefit everyone.”
“Our President has always pushed for a kind of globalization that is inclusive that means bigger nations really empowering and helping smaller nations and at the same time as they — the smaller nations are empowered and would generate the capability to manufacture, the capability to provide services for the bigger countries to have a much more open market access,” Lopez said during a press conference at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea.
“It’s like big brother principle wherein the bigger countries would be in a way helping empower the smaller countries,” he said.
Lopez said the President also highlighted the respect of sovereignty as the regional bloc pushed for closer economic integration amid the digital trade.
“In globalization, he emphasized the principle having a win-win-win arrangement and that respect for sovereignty — you know mutual respect for sovereignty such that respect for the principle that we have adopted as a country,” he said.
“Our President has mentioned time and again that we are friend to everyone and enemy to no one. So iyon po ang kanyang big messages in his interventions [That’s one of the big messages in his interventions],” he added.
The President attended the two-APEC summit this weekend, junking an earlier plan to cut short his three-day visit here. He was expected to arrive in the Philippines Sunday night.
Lopez said the President likewise pushed for empowerment of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to adapt to technology and improve productivity during the APEC summit.
He said small entrepreneurs must be given proper training and human resource development in preparation for the “digitalization of businesses.”
“What we have to address of course is a strong internet infrastructure as well as the access of micro SMEs to the internet to be able to maximize let’s say getting information, data, e-commerce and financial technology in terms of e-payments eventually,” he said.
“He knows that eventually the economy is really going towards that direction. Digitalizing business. So at this point, ang sinabi niya talaga [So at this point, he said it is] very important to provide a lot of training, retaining, education for the micro SMEs,” he added.
He said the President also pressed for the need of ensuring “a high quality workforce and technology-oriented Filipinos.”
“It’s also digitalization technology that is a great equalizer to the extent that you are empowering also microSME but we have to make sure that these guys are really trained and therefore the importance of education,” he added
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