Legazpi City -- For an improved economic, social, performance, one of the country's top economist gives President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a very satisfactory grade. Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda, a top economist, said he gave President Arroyo an eight point score from a performance scale of 1 to 10. Salceda a student of Arroyo during his college years in Ateneo said "the student now grades his teacher, and I gave her a grade 90 for her performance in handling the country despite local and foreign barriers." At a national television talk show, Salceda said he gave a passing grade because of her track records in the fields of social, economic, health, and infrastructure development of the country. Achievements cited includes: PhilHealth "Para sa Masa" cards; land distribution; TESDA vouchers; power privatization at 50 percent; energy independence at 56 percent; 30 million passengers utilizing the Roll on Roll off (RORO) facilities nationwide; Ph26 billion housing loans granted; and Ph. 11 billion agriculture budget. He however, admitted that high poverty incidence and snail pace of government project are factors that hinders the state of the country's economy. At the talkshow former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno also a top economist blames the balooning population as the main reason for the high poverty incidence in the country.
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