RDC PRESS RELEASE-

RDC XI APPROVESDAVAO REGION 2016 INVESTMENT PROGRAM, LONG-TERM PLAN; ENDORSES MINDANAO LONG-TERM PLAN

The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI was convened by its Chairperson, Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario on 16 December at the Seda Hotel, Bajada, Davao City, to discuss matters that needed the Council’s immediate action.

During the meeting, the Council endorsed the Mindanao Spatial Strategy/Development Framework (MSS/DF) and Priority Programs, Activities and Projects, 2015-2045.  The MSS/DF provides policy options for managing land and other physical resources of the Mindanao Island according to the three (3) National Spatial Strategy (NSS) priorities of concentration, connectivity and vulnerability reduction.  The MSS/DF is consistent with the NSS spatial strategies that guide the public sector policy and decision makers in bringing about efficient settlement, production and service delivery systems for sustainable land use and disaster risk reduction.  The MSS/DF formulation is an initiative of the NEDA Board’s National Land Use Committee and Regional Development Committee.

The Council also approved the Davao Region Physical Framework Plan (DRPFP), 2015-2045.The DRPFP provides policy options for managing the Region’s land and other physical resources.  It is also consistent with the National Spatial Strategy and the MSS/DF and shall be the long-term development blueprint of Davao Region.  The Plan features a network of growth areas comprising of Metropolitan Davao, Tagum City as the Region’s next highly urbanized city and regional center, five sub-regional centers:  the Cities of Digos, Mati, and Panabo and the Municipalities of Malita and Nabunturan, as well as, provincial centers.

A P76.1B Investment Program for 2016 was also approved by the Council for Davao Region.  The 2016 Annual Investment Program (AIP) translates the strategies and targets set in the Updated Davao Region Development Plan (UDRDP), 2014-2016 into actual investment projects for the year.  The projects that went into the Investment Program were submitted by the regional line agencies, in consultation with LGUs, proposals from the Regions’ state universities and colleges and government owned/controlled corporations and are responsive to the 10 priority areas or chapters of the UDRDP, 2014-2016.

Among the provinces, Davao del Sur is expected to have the biggest share of public investments at P23.4B.  Sector-wise, the Infrastructure Sector agencies proposed the biggest share with P37.04B worth of public investments.

The Council also endorsed three (3) major infrastructure projects, namely:  the Francisco Bangoy International Airport Development, Operations and Maintenance Project and the Davao (Sasa) Port Modernization Project for Public-Private Partnership or PPP or PPP, and the Davao City Bypass Road Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways for national government and official development assistance financing.

In the same meeting, the Council recognized Dr. Manuel P. Vallejo of the Francisco Bangoy National High School, Davao City, who emerged as one of only two (2) National Individual Awardees out of a total 83 nominees nationwide in the 2014 Search for Outstanding Volunteers.

The Council bolstered the Davao Region initiatives related to the ASEAN Economic Cooperation (AEC) integration. It enjoined the Department of Trade and Industry XI to establish a regional unified website containing information on the tax and duty rates per commodity; enjoined the Bureau of Customs to prioritize Davao Region in the operationalization of the National Single Window (NSW); and approved the Regional AEC Integration Readiness Scorecard.

Finally, RDC XI Chairperson Governor del Rosario enjoined the Council’s full support for Davao del Norte’s hosting of the 2015 National Games (Palarong Pambansa), committing to conduct the best Palaro ever.

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