Government bares plans for Mindanao development
-A A +ASaturday, September 18, 2010
THE Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) announced Friday some plans of the government to boost economic development in Mindanao.
Lualhati Antonino, newly-installed chairperson of MinDA, said the Aquino administration is giving more attention to Mindanao to make it a booming region in the country.
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"The government intends to establish more road networks that would link all ports in the island, hoping to address the inconvenience of transporting goods in and out of Mindanao," said Antonino, who represented Aquino in Friday's opening of the Mindanao Business Conference at Grand Caprice Restaurant in LimKetKai Center.
Antonino said the government also has plans of developing the country's energy sector through the Department of Energy (DOE), which is tasked to make further studies on how to address the power crisis.
She said she considered the construction of a mega dam in Pulangi River in Bukidnon as a "big contribution" to Mindanao's economic development as it would address the power demand of big sectors, especially the power producers and retailers.
Antonino added the government is also focusing on continuing peace initiatives in Mindanao.
"Talks that would take aside conflicts between the government forces and the rebels would further boost economic reforms in the 'Land of Promise,'" said Antonino, who just assumed office on Wednesday, September 15, replacing Jesus Dureza.
She said peace negotiations, which lasted until now, would be given due attention by the government through initiating programs that would improve quality of life for Mindanaoans.
Antonino said the government would also establish more schools and provide quality teachers for Mindanao in the following days.
"We need to do a lot of things for Mindanao, a complex of undertakings of which we are willing to undertake," she said.
This year's Mindanao Business Conference, slated September 16 to 18, focuses on the energy, agriculture and mining sectors.
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on September 18, 2010.
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