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Sunday, December 12, 2004
Guiding efforts to unleash Mindanao economic potential
WHEN President Arroyo formally announced at September's 13th Mindanao Business Conference that she had elevated the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) to cabinet level, few were surprised.
Key Mindanao business and political leaders lauded the President's move, saying that Medco's promotion to cabinet rank is a long and well-deserved recognition of the significant role it has played over the years in charting Mindanao's economic growth.
Development planners point out that Medco's new status will not only translate into more infrastructure and other socio-economic projects for Mindanao, but more importantly, ensure that the island-region remains on top of the national government's development agenda.
"Mindanao will have a stronger voice in the national government through Medco," notes a municipal planning officer who is very pleased with Medco's promotion.
He is now more confident that his area will soon be on the "radar screen" of the National Government and other foreign donor institutions.
Medco was created on March 19, 1992 by virtue of Executive Order 512, signed by then president Corazon Aquinio to promote and coordinate the active participation of all sectors to effect the socio-economic development of Mindanao.
It is no coincidence that Mindanao's transformation from a "backwater economy" into a thriving trade and investment hub over the years is attributable to both the level of policy support provided by the National Government and the resulting investments made by Mindanao-based companies and their foreign partners.
Now with the Arroyo Administration's determined bid to harness Mindanao's full economic potential, Medco will have its hands full. But this agency is no stranger to presidential fiat. Having served three Presidents since its creation in 1992, Medco has ensured the efficient coordination among key national line agencies for the implementation of critical government programs and projects throughout the region.
Whenever there is a snag in project implementation, Medco is immediately on the ground, assessing the situation, and formulating recommendations for Presidential action.
In addition, since 1999, Medco has successfully lobbied for increased national budgetary allocation for Mindanao.
The Department of Agriculture's total budget for Mindanao has increased from a measly 3.38% in 1999 to 12.02% in 2003.
Similarly, the Departments of Education and Public Works also posted incremental increases in their budgetary allocation for Mindanao.
The National Government is now building more roads, bridges, airports, seaports in Mindanao than ever before.
The President's point man
At the helm of Medco is Secretary Jesus Dureza, referred to as President Arroyo's "main man" in Mindanao. The title fits Dureza, as he has ably played the role of development planner, peace negotiator and environmental activist.
With his recent appointment by President Arroyo as Cabinet Secretary and Medco's elevation to cabinet status, there is even greater opportunity for the office to fulfill its economic targets and effectively oversee the administration's programs for Mindanao.
In addition, years of interaction with donors have created the kind of mutual trust that is essential to development.
Not only does he have the full trust and confidence of the President and the donor community, Dureza has a team of experienced and competent economic managers to back him up.
And more importantly, Medco's track record can speak for itself.
"Medco's elevation to cabinet level was due to the recognition of President
Arroyo of the agency's key role, of its ability to efficiently mesh gears with all the key institutions in Mindanao," says Dureza.
Despite Medco's new status, Dureza says that the office will remain, first and foremost, as Mindanao's "consolidator."
"Medco will still be performing the same functions as it has done over the years--integrating Mindanao development and providing technical support to both public and private institutions, all towards achieving peace and development," Dureza states.
He points out that the development thrust of Medco has always been complementary to the peace process and that the Council will continue to build confidence and create incentives for peace, which are necessary "before a final peace agreement is reached with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)."
"So when a peace agreement finally comes, Medco will be able to hit the ground running and immediately implement development projects," he says.
Mindanao development roadmap
Dureza declares that Mindanao's economy is moving forward and gaining momentum.
He cites the formulation of the Mindanao Investment Program (MIP) as among the wide-ranging government initiatives that will impact on Mindanao.
The MIP is a compilation of ongoing, pipeline, committed and proposed programs and projects, which have been identified for possible funding by the international donor community. To date, 227 programs and projects have been identified as eligible for ODA funding.
The MIP is dovetailed to President Arroyo's 10-point agenda and translates the national government's Medium Term Philippine Development Plan's (MTPDP) peace and development objectives into concrete opportunities for investment.
It will serve as Mindanao's road map for development and provide a framework for monitoring the progress of ODA-funded projects.
"The MIP's implementation will bring a greater focus to the implementation of these ODA projects. There will now be a benchmark to efficiently measure progress on the ground," he says.
(December 12, 2004 issue)
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