RDC Chair and Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias presents the output of her group during the Regional Strategic Planning Workshop on October 19 at Hotel Alejandro.

The Regional Development Council (RDC) is currently preparing the Eastern Visayas 2005-2010 Medium-Term Regional Development Plan (MTRDP) through its technical arm, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region VIII, in cooperation with different government agencies, local governments and the private sector. The whole planning activity is conducted in partnership with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). This is a continuation of the GTZ assistance through the Decentralized Planning Structures Project (DPSP). Earlier, the project also provided financial and technical assistance in the formulation of the Eastern Visayas 2005-2030 Regional Physical Framework Plan (RPFP).

A workshop among the RDC sectoral committees was conducted last October 19, 2004 at the Hotel Alejandro to identify major strategies and activities for the MTRDP. Another workshop is scheduled in November to set specific, quantified targets and identify programs and projects for the investment program.

The MTRDP is prepared once every six years to coincide with the term of the President of the Philippines. However, there are several innovations in this planning process. The current Plan features a growth-oriented approach focusing on agri-industrial development in contrast to the sectoral approach in the past. The choice of agri-industry as a focus was driven by the comparative advantage and untapped potentials of the region and the reality that majority of employed people are in agriculture. It is believed that improving agricultural productivity is the key to growth and alleviation of the people from poverty.

Another important feature of the 2005-2010 MTRDP is that it supports the 10-Point Agenda of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo. Many of the strategies identified during the workshop were supportive of job creation, education for all, balanced budget, development decentralization through transport and digital infrastructure network, water and power supply and peace and order.

The proposed content of the 2005-2010 MTRDP are as follows: Agri-Industrial Development, Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Infrastructure and Logistic Support and Governance. This time, the RDC does not expect to come up with a lengthy Plan nor a long list of projects. What is important is that projects will impact on growth and poverty.

The technical and financial assistance provided by GTZ will also allow multi-sectoral participation in the entire planning process. It will also experiment the appropriate link of the MTRDP with the national and local plans and with the Regional Physical Framework Plan and other plans at the regional level.

As early as July, 2004, several brainstorming sessions and meetings with the GTZ consultant were held to discuss the methodology of a growth-oriented planning approach. As part of the multi-sectoral consultation process, the NEDA staff were also deployed to various parts of the region to interview various stakeholders - local governments, businessmen, farmers, households, among others - to validate and/or draw-out development issues. The information gathered served as inputs in the agri-industry situation assessment presented during the workshop last October 19.

The overwhelming attendance and active participation of stakeholders during the October 19 workshop was very encouraging. The newly appointed RDC Chair Governor Rosette Lerias of Southern Leyte as well as other local government officials, heads of offices and non-government officers actively participated in the workshop.