Manila Bulletin, 11 November 2011
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines – Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. presented here recently the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 that articulates the country’s search for an inclusive growth and development.
Paderanga led a National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) caravan team that arrived here early this week, now the newly designated official seat of regional government of Western Mindanao through an Executive Order (EO) issued earlier by then President Corazon Aquino, and later affirmed by former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The caravan, aimed at “Bringing the National Plan to the Regions,” was highlighted by a day-long conference attended by Regional Development Council-9 (RDC-9) Chairperson and Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn Tang-Uy, Co-Chairman Fr. Enrico Montano, NEDA Region-9 Director Arturo Valero, and heads of various sectors in Western Mindanao now also known as the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Stressing that the PDP defines the nation’s quest for an inclusive growth anchored on President Aquino’s “Social contract with the Filipino people,” Paderanga said the PDP is focused on the theme “Good Governance and Anti-Corruption” with an ultimate vision to “Achieve Inclusive Growth, Create Employment Opportunities, and Reduce Poverty.”
The NEDA chief discussed the plan’s broad strategies that call for “the attainment of high and sustainable economic growth, and provide productive employment opportunities, equalization of access to development opportunities across various income and social spectrum, and formation and implementation of effective and responsive social safety nets to catch those who fail to immediately participate in this new economic growth process.”
Paderanga also shared the key strategies to achieve the plan’s vision that include massive investment in infrastructure, transparent and responsive governance, human development and improved social services, competitiveness to generate employment, and access to financing even as he highlighted the corresponding plan targets and chapters to provide the people a broad understanding of the PDP.
The plan, he added, also gives the government the chance to demonstrate its capability to provide responsive interventions where the meaningful involvement of all sectors is necessary to push development and address accompanying challenges.
The need to pursue and sustain all inclusive economic growth where no Filipino will be left behind was also underscored by Paderanga, who further clarified issues raised pertaining to the PDP such as mining, existence of corresponding local development plan, harmonization of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and procurement law, access to financing, “Telepono sa Barangay” and related communication facilities, Mindanao 2020 – Power, Peace and Order, and environment protection.
During the conference, PPP Deputy Executive Director Cosette Canilao discussed the role of the PPP center, a NEDA-attached agency, in undertaking project development and monitoring facility services, capability building and knowledge management services, project development services, legal services, and policy formulation and evaluation services.
