Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Business sector backs Arroyo's 'mega-regions'
BUSINESSMEN in Davao Region are in favor of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's plan for the creation of “super-regions”.
"We have seen the need to have consolidated efforts to make things work faster especially for us here in Mindanao," said Romeo Serra of the Mindanao Business Council.
Serra observed that the geographic division of Mindanao has caused the government ineffective planning, competing priorities, and redundant efforts.
With the plan of strengthening Mindanao as one super region, he said, it would be a good opportunity to speed up development in the island.
"However, this super region strategy would only be effective if the President puts in the right logistic components, otherwise, it would only remain a plan and will never move Mindanao to a higher level," he explained.
The business sector believes that Arroyo's strategy is geared towards decentralizing resources instead of concentrating it in Mega Manila.
Businessmen believe that efficient system of the government would spell better business climate especially in less explored areas like the different provinces in Mindanao.
"It would be best if it will not just remain for planning purposes. I urge the government to make it also work for the implementation process," Serra added.
The business community, as well, challenged the President to establish political will in implementing the plan.
In her State of the Nation Address Monday, Arroyo pledged some P100-billion for the five mega regions, which local officials could use over a span of three years to jumpstart their respective economies.
Malacañang announced earlier that it was preparing for the blueprint of an economic plan that would divide the country into four "super-regions" where financial resources could be poured jointly by the national and local governments to spur growth, investments and developments.
Last week, Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said the President would soon issue an executive order dividing the Philippines into: North Luzon, which covers regions 1 and 2, the cordillera Autonomous Region, Aurora and Nueva Ecija; Metro Luzon; Central Philippines, which covers regions 4-b, 5, 6, 7 and 8; and Mindanao, which covers regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Arroyo said she aims to bring the National Government and local government units into closer collaboration for better economic planning.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 26, 2006 issue)
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