BAGUIO CITY -- To achieve sustainable development and for communities to benefit, leaders in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on Friday approved the Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP) for 2017-2022.
Governors, regional directors, sectoral representatives representing the different non-government organizations who comprise the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) have given a thumbs up to the plan, which when fully implemented will further improve the economic condition of the region, as well as its people.
The program contains priority programs and projects to be implemented by regional line agencies, local government units, State Universities and Colleges, and other government offices in the region.
This will contribute to the attainment of the six development goals of the Regional Development Program (RDP) as well as President Rodrigo Duterte’s 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda.
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Milagros Rimando, at the sidelines of the Panagbenga street dancing parade, said the attainment of the RDIP would boost the implementation of goals and the vision of Cordillera which would also serve as a basis and linkage in monitoring public investments towards the attainment of planned goals and targets.
Rimando said they have conducted enhancement workshops for LGUs to repackage their projects to increase project cost. She also said that prior to the workshops conducted, the projects amounted to PHP175 billion but was increased to PHP225 billion because of enhanced workshops they have conducted -- where programs were defined, planned-out and specifics included, making them more doable with higher chances of getting a budget allocation.
The RDIP is a listing of the region’s priority projects, which were culled from the plans and programs of the line agencies, SUC’s, LGUs and others in the following sectors: social development industry and services with PHP62 billion; industry and services with PHP56 billion; infrastructure development with PHP53 billion; agriculture and fisheries with PHP31 billion; good governance and rule of law at PHP13.9 billion and environment and natural resources with PHP7.9 billion.
In terms of geographic distribution the bulk will go to the regional budget getting 24 percent or PHP54 billion; followed by Benguet and Kalinga, each getting PHP33 billion or 15 percent share of the pie; Apayao, one of the poorest provinces in the country gets PHP32 billion or 14 percent share; Mountain Province get PHP27 billion or 12 percent; Baguio, the center of the region gets PHP20 billion or 9 percent; Abra gets PHP12 billion or 6 percent and Ifugao gets PHP11 billion equivalent to a 5 percent share from the whole RDIP fund.
Rimando explained that the workshop conducted was aimed at getting a higher chance of getting a budget allocation at the national level. “This is to increase the chances of the projects to be included in the national government’s list.”
The plan included capital assistance projects that will contribute to the capital investments and create enabling the environment to stimulate growth. Technical assistance projects that include institutional and human resource capacity building activities, research, feasibility studies and master plans.
During the RDC meeting, Department of Science and Technology Regional Director Victor Mariano, who also heads the committee on research also proposed the approval of the Research and Development Agenda for 2017-2022 which will further support and boost the Cordillera’s six-year development agenda program. (PNA)
