The officers and members of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas, including governors, mayors, regional directors of government agencies, and private sector representatives, convened for a historic first full council meeting outside of the Philippines, specifically in Macao, China, Dec. 6.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez, RDC6 chairperson, emphasized the need for the Council to be more relevant to nation-building, not just in policy-making but also in investment programming, project implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
“We will pursue tangible results from the RDC 6 meeting through the 2024 budget with the help of the government agencies and our legislators,” said Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., in support of Benitez’s call.
Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores responded to the challenge by saying that the priority of the Council is to have a “One Region 6”, where all of the provinces are working together for a common goal.
“RDC should be significant. Its endorsed projects should be prioritized by the government for implementation,” Guimaras Governor JC Rahman Nava also told the members.
Among the top 10 projects that will be pursued for implementation by Western Visayas are the Aklan Cruise Port Hub; modernization of the Guimaras Parola Ports; Heart, Lung and Kidney Center; shared service facilities (SSF) for Solid Waste Management of DTI’s SSF Program; the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project; Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway; smart agriculture system; farm schools; regional warehouses for Disaster Response and Management; and the Bacolod Coastal Road, Iloilo circumferential roads, and other vital/strategic road networks, the National Economic and Development Authority 6 said in a press release.
The RDC coordinates and sets the direction of all development efforts in the region. It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be integrated with regional and national development activities, the press release added. ||
