HEADS of line agencies and offices in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) have readied a two-year development plan aimed to bring the impoverished communities in the region to greater heights.
Acting Armm Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong said the development plan was readied during the three-day strategic planning workshop he spearheaded that ended Thursday in Cagayan de Oro City.
Adiong said the workshop was attended by 70 heads and technical personnel of the Armm’s agencies and offices and threshed out problems besetting the autonomous region and proposed the corresponding solutions in three successive days of deliberations.
Adiong said the two-year development plan, which has been collated from the proposals of participating departments and bureaus, will be tackled further for adoption by the Regional Economic and Development Planning Board (REDPB), the Armm’s highest policy-making body.
Adiong said the REDPB is composed of the governors of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the mayors of Marawi and Lamitan cities and the top officials of the Armm Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA).
Adiong said the REDPB will meet for two-days starting Friday to tackle the development plan.
It will also be held in Cagayan de Oro City like the three-day strategic planning workshop.
Adiong, at the opening of the three-day workshop, addressed the participants, citing among others funding supports from national and foreign sources now in the pipeline that include a $30-million package earmarked by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the World Bank (WB).
Adiong said the national and foreign-funded development projects will be proportionately spread across the Armm component areas to meet the social, economic, infrastructure and peace and order concerns of the target areas.
Adiong urged the Armm officials to “pursue our development thrusts and address squarely the grey areas under the principle of transparent, consultative and moral governance.”
Adiong sat with the Armm officials and exchanged ideas with the participants in their respective tables in an unprecedented fashion for an Armm chief executive.
Malacañang through Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno installed to office Adiong last December 14 in lieu of Armm Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, who has been suspended and detained in connection with the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao of 57 people including 31 journalists. (Bong Garcia)