[NEWS] Mindanao super region needs P215 billion

(The projects proposed here are impressive in quantity. But it is obvious that the planners could not announce which of these projects are already backed with funds.)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 4 August) - Mindanao's six regional
development councils has come up with around P215 billion worth of
projects for Mindanao, according to a presentation Friday by Misamis
Occidental Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampo to governors, city and municipal
mayors on the 'Mindanao super region'.

The P214.690 billion worth of projects will become the government's
investment program for Mindanao from 2007-2010, Ocampo told MindaNews.

Ocampo, who chairs the council of the heads of Mindanao's six regional
development councils (RDCs), told reporters in a press conference here
that the budget is drawn from a "wish list" of projects from
Mindanao's local government units coordinated by their respective
regional development councils.

Ocampo spoke at the reorganization meeting of the Confederation of
Provincial Governors, City Mayors, and Municipal Mayors League
Presidents of Mindanao (CONFED) on Friday at the Grand Regal Hotel
here.

Secretary Jesus Dureza, the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
and who announced he was picked by President Arroyo as the "point man"
for the Mindanao super region, said the list of projects is the road
map of the super region. Dureza said the super region concept is not
new to Mindanao and that they have already "jumpstarted" the
consolidation.

In the list, Dureza said, the government has funded the bigger
counterpart of the project. Ocampos clarified that "the government
already has funds for some portions of the public investment plan"
while the rest will be sourced through time and the rest from other
schemes like build-operate-transfer (BOT).

Ocampo said some funds would be drawn from proceeds of the value added
tax collections, savings from the re-enacted budget, grants and
donations, loans, and counterparts from the local government units and
government-owned corporations.

There was no estimate however, as to how much tax collections and
savings would contribute to form the fund. There was also no mention
on how to realize big-funding schemes like the BOT in the middle of
the government difficulty to sell its major assets.

Around 42.27% of the investment requirement or P90.74 billion is
earmarked for "realizing Mindanao's agribusiness and acquaculture, and
mariculture potentials". Around 36.24% or P77.8 billion is eyed for
projects to attract more investors.

About 11.1%, or P23.8 billion, of the investment requirement goes to
projects to establish an efficient food logistics and system linking
Mindanao to Manila. Proposed projects for the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) also account for P12 billion.
Only 3.9%, or P8.2 billion, of the proposed projects are directed at
improving education and other social development conditions.

Around P2 billion projects are proposed for capability, peace building
and in information and communications technology. A total of P234
million projects are proposed on projects to pursue responsible
mining.

Of the P90.74 billion proposed projects for realizing Mindanao's
agribusiness, acquaculture, and mariculture potentials, 68.12% or
P61.8 billion is for road network improvement. Around P17 billion for
irrigation development, P7.7 billion for agrarian reform projects, P3
billion for environment protection, P612 million for agri- processing
and business center, P401 million for fishery development, and P119
million for agriculture development.

Of the P23.8 billion proposed projects for establishing efficient food
logistics system linking Mindanao to Manila, P20.7 billion is for
support infrastructure and utilities while P3.104 billion are for food
processing and consolidation.

The plan also presented around P43 billion worth of projects for
power projects mostly generation and transmission. Around P25.3
billion are for support infrastructure network while around P9.4
billion worth of projects are proposed for tourism development.

The investment plan also singled out a total of P12 billion projects
for the ARMM "catch-up plan" to realize the ARMM's agribusiness and
aquaculture potentials ( P3.17 billion), improving accessibility to
production (P5 billion), enticing investments in ARMM Area (
P1.45 billion), improvement of ports and airports (P1.24 billion),
Uplifting Social Concerns (P1.21 billion) and other peace and
development (P30 million).

Around P1.95 billion worth of projects are proposed "to build strong
partnerships" in Mindanao such as resolving boundary conflict for
peace and development in Mindanao, among others. Around P8.3 billion
are proposed to uplift social development conditions such as
education, with P1.19 billion worth of proposed projects, flood
control to protect life and property ( P4.53 billion), expanded
medical and health care, ( P2.29 billion), child and maternal care
(P126 million ), and other welfare projects (P75 million).

For projects to be selected as priority subjects in the Mindanao super
region, Ocampo said, it has to be within the framework of the Arroyo
administration's 10-point agenda and must be recommended by the
regional development councils.

Dureza said Mindanao has an advantage as a super region because of the
set up of coordination facilitated by the Mindanao Economic
Development Council (MEDCo), unlike other regions that has no
experience in consolidating regional plans.

"It is just a matter of getting the agencies to go together," he said.
(Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)