Senate body approves MinDA P85-M budget

Sunday 16th of September 2012

MANILA, Sept. 16 (PIA) -- Seeing the need for greater inter-regional collaboration in Mindanao, the Senate finance committee has approved recently and will submit for plenary deliberations the proposed 2013 budget of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Senator Franklin M. Drilon, chair of the committee on finance cited the crucial role of MinDA being the primary planning institution of Mindanao and as the integrator of regional programs and projects.

“We have far too long seen Mindanao perennially lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of development, it’s time we see greater integration of efforts to push for its progress and transformation,” said Drilon.

With a mandate to push for strong participation of all sectors to achieve accelerated socio-economic development for the island, MinDA, he said, carries the Mindanao perspective and brings it to national attention.

In its proposed budget for 2013, MinDA is seeking approval of P85 million mainly for integrated planning, policy advocacy and program development services. The office is currently operating on a P60 million budget under FY 2012.

For next year, its allocation will also deal substantially with the setting up of area management offices in clustered regions and subsequent completion of its reorganization and staffing program so it can adequately respond to both Mindanao-wide and inter-regional coordination activities.

“Under its strengthened mandate, MinDA endeavors to face up to the challenge of seeing to it that efforts are exerted to address the imperatives for Mindanao’s development,” said MinDA chair Luwalhati Antonino in a statement.

Antonino added that MinDA’s work is anchored on integration of Mindanao’s agenda and effectively articulating these to national government priorities.

“We look beyond regional concerns as we integrate and harmonize efforts at a Mindanao-wide perspective,” she stressed.

Created under R.A. 9996, MinDA became a permanent agency in 2010 with mandate to address the need for a coordinated and integrated approach in the formulation and implementation of various Mindanao-wide and inter-regional development plans, programs and projects.

The law strengthened the former Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), which was created by virtue of an executive order issued in 1992 by then President Corazon Aquino.

MinDA also serves as the permanent Philippine Coordinating Office that works to strengthen the participation of Philippines focus areas (Mindanao and Palawan) in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) sub-regional cooperation.

Among the major initiatives currently being pursued by MinDA include the Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters (MindaNOW) Program, Investment Facilitation, Support for ARMM Reform Agenda, Mindanao Power Development, Mindanao Research and Policy Agenda, and Mindanao Peace and Development Security cooperation. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)