Pres. Aquino yesterday praised the country's resilience in the face of challenges in 2013 and assured the public that his administration will not waste time to achieve inclusive growth in the remaining 2 1/2 yrs. of his term. In his New Year's message PNoy said that while the country encountered several major challenges in 2013, there were positive developments that should make every Pilipino proud. The president said the world continues to gain confidence in the Philippines in it's anti-corruption efforts as well as in it's economic growth including the ranking of the Philippines in the Transparency International Corruption Index which jumped 29 notches from 134th in 2010 to 105th in 2013. The president also noted that the country now has the highest recorded GDP growth in South East Asia and is one of the leading countries in Asia in terms of economic growth. It was also during this year when the country was able to attain an investment grade status from 3 major credit rating agencies.
