Aquino to grace Philippine development forum

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III will grace the culmination of the two-day Philippine Development Forum (PDF) scheduled February 4 to 5 at the Marco Polo Davao.

The President will hear presentations from the different sectors on key issues for the development of Mindanao during the second day of the PDF.

The presentations will actually be the output of the two-day 1st Mindanao Development Forum (MDF), which started Friday and ends today (Saturday) also at Marco Polo Davao.

Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda), said discussions during plenary and breakout sessions in the MDF will be incorporated and discussed in the PDF.

Antonino opened the MDF Friday morning and made an overview of the conference attended by some 300 representatives of various Official Development Assistance (ODA) and heads of the national line agencies.

"We call that listening sessions for the different sectors. What are the dreams of Mindanao for its development and its people," Antonino said of the opening day.

The opening day was also marked by the report of Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chairperson of the Government of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel, on the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement.

Also gracing the opening day were Secretary Teresita A. Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of the National Economic and Development Authority.

Breakout sessions were scheduled Friday afternoon with Deles talking on security, justice and peace Undersecretary Austere Panadero discussing on good governance and anti-corruption.

Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission will also talk on climate change mitigation and adaptation. (CRAM)