Northern Mindanao is beginning to get the bountiful harvests promised by the Estrada Administration. Under the President's Agrikulturang Makamasa program, the total palay production in the region (Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental) was registered at 274,700 metric tons.

There was also a marked increase in livestock and poultry production which was 23.3 percent for hogs and nearly 1 percent for cattle and carabao. Fishery production likewise increased by 1.7 percent.

Knowing the region's need for more roads, President Estrada ordered the construction of a 10 kilometer farm-to-market road project costing P17 million that would link two corn and sugarcane-producing barangay with the heart of Bukidnon's capital city, Malaybalay. Similar projects will be put up in four Agrarian Reform Communities with funds sourced from the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) of the Chief Executive.

To further boost agricultural production in Northern Mindanao, an irrigation dam project designed to serve some 200 hectares of farmlands in Bukidnon was inaugurated during the President's September visit to the province.

The ground-breaking ceremonies of the P176 million parallel bridge in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, also last September, signalled the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges that will eventually link the region to other growth centers in Mindanao.

Of this amount, a total of P75 million in investments were poured by some 154 manufacturing firms and other industries into Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Iligan City, and Lanao del Norte through the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor Special Development Project (CIC-SDP).

Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental shared more than P49 million worth of Board of Invest-ments (BOI) and non-BOI approved investments, while P23 million, also in investments, were funneled to Iligan City and Lanao del Norte.

Other equally important projects for Northen Mindanao have been lined-up for implementation. These are the $36.8 million CIC International Airport in Laguindingan town, Misamis Oriental; the upgrading of the Cagayan de Oro and Iligan baseports; the Mindanao International Cargo Terminal at the Phidec Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental; the Iligan-Bukidnon road; water supply distribution; the Bukidnon-Davao and Bukidnon-Cotabato roads; the Iligan Agro-Industrial Center; power; and telecommunications.

Northern Mindanao showed an impressive performance in the export industry, posting an 11 percent increase by the end of 1998, equivalent to US $222 million. Topping the list of exports are coco-based products, followed by processed foods at 26 percent, metals at 13 percent, and aquamarine products, 9 percent.

Focused delivery of government services was extended to the poor families and marginal communities in 5th and 6th class municipalities, including those in the urban areas, to ensure that the people in this part of the country meet their minimum basic needs.

These needs include food and nutrition, health, basic child care, water and sanitation, clothing resettlement and housing, peace and order, public safety, income and livelihood, basic education and functional literacy, bridges, farm-to-market roads, irrigation facilities, potable water development, and environment resource management.

Also in line with the Poverty Alleviation program of the Estrada administration, over 112 livelihood and infrastructure projects amount-ing to P32 million were turned over by the Region 10 office of the Department of Agriculture to four provinces of the region. The projects involve crops, livestock, and fishery production, animal dispersal, processing, and human resource development.

During his Iligan City visit, President Estrada also announced the release of P2.6 billion to fund various infrastructure projects expected to pump-prime the economy in Mindanao. Of the amount, P1.4 billion was allocated for Region 10.

With so many good things coming its way, Northern Mindanao, might yet take the lead in the effort to hasten the economic recovery in the region.

Eduardo U. Pacalioga started out as an illustrator but is now Informotion Officer II in Cagayan de Oro. Interested in photography and computers, "Gardee" is also a baritone who once played Christ in a local production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" back in the 70s.