Duterte: Upbeat ako sa ating ekonomiya

Pangulong Duterte ay kumpyansa na tataas ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas sa 2017 dahil sa ina-asahang pagpasok nang Chinese investors which, in turn, will also help boost other industries, lalo na sa turismo.

"Yes, upbeat ako sa economy kasi papasok na ang China. Kasi noon limitado tayo eh. It's just that we are limited to a very few," he said. (Yes I am upbeat about the economy because of the entry of China. We used to be very limited to just a few.)

"Limitado tayo sa foreign affair. Kailan pa ba tayo pinansin ng China? It was not until after my trip to China to talk to them," he added. (Even in foreign affairs, we were limited. When did China even pay attention to us?)

A lot of foreign businesses are coming in and the President said that in two or three years, the country will be better.

Aside from the infusion of Chinese investments, the country will also see the entry of South Korean, Japanese, and even European investments.

The President said this augurs well for a peaceful and progressive Philippines in 2017.

"I just want my country peaceful and developing. Wala na akong ibang ambisyon sa buhay ko," he said in an interview with CNN Philippines in Malacañang when asked about his New Year’s wish. (I have no other ambition in life.)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is optimistic that the Philippines, under the leadership of President Duterte, will overcome the disaster wrought by typhoon Nina (international name Nock-Ten) on Christmas Day and rebuild all that have been destroyed by the calamity.

President Xi emphasized this in a message sent to Duterte on Sunday wherein he also extended his condolences over the casualties and damage caused by one of the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since Yolanda left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over five million in 2014.

"China and the Philippines are friendly neighbors, and the Chinese government and people are deeply worried about the Philippine people who have been hit and become homeless in the disaster," Xi wrote.

The Chinese leader, likewise, expressed China’s readiness to provide emergency assistance to those who were severely affected by typhoon Nina which left six people dead and 19 others missing, and incurred damage worth billions of pesos.