House OKs creation of Mindanao Development Authority
The House of Representatives has approved recently on third and final reading a bill creating the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), which seeks to promote, coordinate and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all sectors to effect peace and development in Mindanao.
House Bill 6958 aims to address the need for a coordinative and integrative approach in the formulation and implementation of various inter-regional and Mindanao-wide development plans, programs and projects.
MinDA shall cover all provinces and cities of Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, Caraga and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It shall be attached to the Office of the President and its main office shall be located in Davao City.
The province of Palawan shall also be covered by MinDA but only in so far as its involvement in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) is concerned.
House Deputy Speaker and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, one of the authors of the measure, said it is the declared policy of the State to accelerate the socio-economic growth and development of Mindanao by encouraging and increasing trade, tourism and investments, private enterprise and advancing efforts towards peace and development.
Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo, another author of the bill, said MinDA shall prioritize, integrate and implement, whenever necessary, inter-regional and/or Mindanao-wide programs and projects cutting across regional boundaries, including the Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects.
For his part, Sultan Kudarat Rep. Datu Pax Mangudadatu, another author of the bill and Chairman of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs, said MinDA shall encourage investments including the promotion of joint venture projects in Mindanao by extending the necessary planning, management and technical assistance to prospective and existing investors.
Under the bill which shall be known as the “Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Act of 2009,” MinDA shall recommend to and, whenever necessary, call upon the proper agencies on the technical support, physical assistance and generally, the level of priority to be accorded to agricultural, industrial, commercial and infrastructure, environmental and technological programs and projects soliciting or requiring direct or indirect help from or through the national government or any of its instrumentalities.
The bill empowers MinDA to recommend to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board for approval inter-regional and Mindanao-wide programs and projects.
It shall likewise act as the official and permanent Philippine Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA (PCOBE) and the lead agency of the government in coordinating the formulation and implementation of policies and programs and monitoring of all activities related thereto.
The measure further provides that the current appropriations of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) shall be transferred to the MinDA to commence its activities. (PNA)
