Mega-regions priority projects to push RP to first world status
"We need to increase investment by ten percent a year in order for us to catch up with the richer countries of Asia," President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said at the opening of the second round discussion on development planning for the Northern Luzon, Central Philippines and Mindanao super regions.
President Arroyo underscored the need to identify the priority projects in each mega region based on the area's natural competitive edge to push the country for First World status.
She said that the government's planning and economic development strategy of grouping the country's 16 regions into four mega-regions will help spur a quantum leap in foreign investments and jobs, the Malacanang press report said.
The new planning tact, the president said, would allow national government and local government units to put together a series of development packages and invest in the region's strength. The President likewise emphasized that education must be bolstered especially in the poorer provinces. The strategic development plan will be highlighted in the President's State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) on July 24, 2006.
The four mega regions are: North Luzon which is composed of Regions 1, 2, the Cordillera Administrative Region and the northern part of Aurora and Nueva Ecija, would be developed into an agri-business center; Metro Luzon-Region 3, 4A and Metro Manila. During its first round discussion, the President encouraged greater logistics investments in Clark and Subic Economic Zones, in expressways and ports in the urban beltway as well as Aurora. She also called for investments in agri-business in Nueva Ecija as well as investments that would benefit the island provinces of Mindoro and Marinduque from the development of CALABARZON; the Central Philippines mega-region, which includes the island provinces of in the Visayas, shall be developed into the country's tourism center; and Mindanao mega-region would be developed into the country's food basket.
(PIA/T.Villavert)