I.

Introduction

A. Identification of the Problem

Scarcity of resources is one of the main reasons that the Philippine nation is facing. Scarcity
is also a big issue that can cripple nations. The reason why it exists is because the over-usage of
these resources such as food and the abuse of the natural resources the Philippines have.

Scarcity has been a burden to all Filipinos because of the grandeur of the limitation of these
sources or its availability. Possibly also the price of the commodities a person can sustain. These
reasons cause poverty and mostly theft from the aforementioned reasons.

The policy proposed to solve this problem will be the “SMS Policy- Save, Maintain, and
Sustain” which is limiting the exportation of basic commodities as well as the ‘unreplenishable’
resources. In this policy, we can save, maintain, and sustain the resources we need in an average
capacity the nation needs. This policy is similar to President Carlos P. Garcia’s “Filipino First
Policy” in which there will be basically neither imports nor exports but that policy failed in this
policy. The Philippines will still import and export goods and resources but in the ratio of
importing in a medium-to-maximum scale and exporting in a low scale.

B. Objectives

The objective of this paper is mainly to eradicate the scarcity among the goods and natural
resources where the Filipinos get their basic necessities for daily living. The burden that it causes
is carried by the Filipinos who, in the first place, should be the first ones enjoying the fruits of
their hard work. The paper aims to limit the trading, especially exporting of primary goods to
other countries and prioritize allotting goods in the Philippine market.

II. Body

A. Problem with Existing Policies

The Government of the Philippines put some efforts to make the Economy of the country
make it healthy and performing well. Government makes the trade-in-goods deficit further
widened to $19.1 billion as exports declined for the sixth consecutive month in June (2018)
while imports growth remained robust. Also, the large increases of government spending and
investment would keep growth elevated this year and next. The Government of the Philippines
facing issues as well, regards to the Economy, one of this is the economy decelerated as the
second quarter of 2018. The reason behind it is the stimulus contributed to a surge in investment
spending; it also caused a widening of the trade deficit as rising export growth was still outpaced
by import growth. This was largely due to a surge in capital goods imports linked to the
infrastructure plan. The Government wouldn't be able to make expedient decision towards to
these possible issues in the country. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is
the primary and independent Government Agency is responsible for economic development and
planning as well. Coordination of such activities as the formulation of policies, plans and
programs to efficiently set the broad parameters for national and sub-national. Review,
evaluation, and monitoring of infrastructure projects identified under the Comprehensive and
Integrated Infrastructure Program (CIIP) consistent with the government’s thrust of increasing
investment spending for the growing demand on quality infrastructure facilities. Also,
Undertaking of short-term policy reviews to provide critical analyses of development issues and
policy alternatives to decision-makers.

B. Policy Recommendations

Our policy is more about Filipino domestic product system where we focus about the
system of trading products from other countries. As we wanted it to be as the better version of
the “Filipino First Policy” that was implemented by Pres. Carlos P. Garcia. It is a policy that
concerns about elasticity of importation and exportation of domestic products. It is meant to
assert greater Filipino role over the country's economy if not to gain control of it by promoting
"Filipino business establishment".The policy that we are executing is called the "SMS Policy-
Save, Maintain, Sustain Policy", a policy in which we need to limit the exportation in our trading
system in order to fight scarcity. We implement on more importations and less on exportations.
We save Filipino domestics products by limiting exportation, maintaining in this system to have
a balance and control to the contribution of domestic products, and sustaining the basic
commodities of the Filipinos. This policy prioritizes our resources first than alien resources. We
have the quality of products that we the citizen needs.
 Our trading system today is a “free market” in which any business is free to whether they
wanted to export to different countries or import raw materials in the Philippines. Even though,
free market may increase the profit in our country because free market economies allow business
owners to innovate ideas, develop new products and offer new services, entrepreneurs need not
to depend on government agencies to tell them when the public needs a new product.

In this policy there is no control in importations and exportations resulting to have an

imbalance of our resources in the Philippines thus having scarcity in our basic commodities. In
implementing the "SMS Policy- Save, Maintain, Sustain Policy", we hypothesize that in this we
may able to have a balance contribution of resources to the Filipinos. In this policy, we will have
a full control of what to be exported and imported products, thus having to save as many of
domestic products that the Filipinos need, maintaining a balance and manage of contribution, and
sustaining the basic needs of the Filipinos.

III. Conclusion and Potential Problem Analysis

The SMS Policy (Save, Maintain and Sustain) is about saving the resources and goods we
attain, maintaining these and sustaining them through the Philippine Market. This can be a
solution to scarcity which will also end a lot more problems that the Philippines currently have
like poverty, theft and overpriced goods in the market.

A potential problem that may later occur under the recommended policy is that it can
affect the profit gained from exporting products although only goods that are prone to scarcity
will be limited for exportation, but as a contingency plan, the promotion for more production of
goods through investment in technology and human resource and agriculture should be
implemented as to prevent scarcity.