6th MinDA board meeting set in Butuan

By Robert E. Roperos

Friday 3rd of August 2012

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 3 (PIA) -- The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) conducted today its 6th board meeting in the city.

In a statement, MinDA officials said the board meeting is held for the first time here, to coincide with the largest annual gathering of Mindanao business leaders, the 21st Mindanao Business Conference.

MinDA said, on the back of the country’s growth momentum highlighted in the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino last month, the board will assess Mindanao’s recent socio-economic performance and provide direction and guidance for the authority’s work and thrusts for Mindanao onward to the second-half of the year.

The conduct of the board meeting is also to ensure that goals and policies of MinDA are consistent with the overall national development goals and objectives as well as complement the regional and local development plans, programs and projects through better integration and coordination.

In its pursuit for lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao, the board is also set to lay groundwork for identifying concrete, doable, and measurable actions, including policy initiatives that shall provide and pave way for the success of various Mindanao programs and projects.

During the meeting, the board revisited Mindanao’s 2011 socio-economic performance in coming up with the Mindanao Development Report, which shall provide a year-end analysis of the island-region’s performance in areas of peace and security, governance, economy and environment, human development and social cohesion, and enabling conditions such as policy environment and infrastructure.

The board also discussed the implementation of Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters Program (MindaNOW), MinDA’s flagship program on development and management of Mindanao’s river basins and watersheds.

Also discussed during the event is the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA’s) cooperation on Enhancing Connectivity which includes transport and logistics, power, trade facilitation and information and communications technology development in the sub-region.

Finally, the meeting tackled MinDA’s partnership program on renewable energy advocacy and development in Mindanao.

Participating in the board meeting are chairpersons of the Regional Development Councils of Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 and the Regional Economic Development and Planning Board of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona.

Other participants of the MinDA Board meeting are Rep. Arnulfo Go, chairperson of the House Committee on Mindanao Affairs and key officials of public and private organizations. (RER – PIA-Caraga)