LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cordillera office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-CAR) recently unveiled the 2023-2028 Regional Development Plan (RDP) which is a giant step towards shaping the region’s future.
Victorio Eugene S. Caccam, supervising economic specialist of NEDA-CAR discussed the current state and performance of the Cordillera economy, including annual employment and underemployment rates, headline inflation, food inflation rate index, poverty levels, and subsistence incidence among families.
Moving forward to 2021 and 2022, he highlighted the region’s economic recovery and strong performance. This included improvements in the employment situation, rising market prices, and a consistent decline in poverty. However, he emphasized a crucial concern: “We can see that the rate of prices is continuously increasing, so tempering prices will remain the region’s priority in the coming years.”
The vision encapsulated in the Cordillera RDP 2023-2028 is clear and aspirational:
“We, the people of the Cordillera, proud of our culture and heritage rooted in spirituality, shall have a truly autonomous region of a united, enlightened, and empowered citizenry who shall pursue sustainable development where responsibilities and benefits are shared by all.”
These goals encompass what the world aims to achieve, including ending poverty, eliminating hunger, ensuring good health and well-being, providing quality education, promoting gender equality, ensuring clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, fostering decent work and economic growth, supporting industry innovation and infrastructure, reducing inequalities, building sustainable cities and communities, promoting responsible consumption and production, taking action on climate change, preserving life below water and on land, promoting peace, justice, strong institutions, and fostering partnerships for the goals.
The RDP serves as a blueprint, outlining the region’s development targets and strategies within its unique vision and challenges. This plan is intricately designed to contribute to realizing national development goals outlined in the Philippine Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Ambisyon Natin by 2040.
The Ambisyon Natin 2040 vision includes three key elements: “Matatag” signifies strong family and community bonds, “Maginhawa” represents a comfortable lifestyle, and “Panatag” denotes a secure future.
The document delves into various aspects, including development trends, assessments, challenges, regional frameworks, legislative agendas, and monitoring mechanisms. Its core focus is to address the concerns and challenges unique to the Cordillera region, steering it toward realizing its vision.
The primary focus of the Development Goals Priority legislative agenda is to enhance income-earning capabilities and promote education and lifelong learning.
Key developmental targets include the growth rate of the gross regional development product, the unemployment rate, the proportion of salaried work in the private sector to total employment, food inflation, and the incidence of poverty among the population.
Monitoring progress towards these goals involves integrating the CAR RDP 2023 into local development plans, implementing the regional development investment program for 2023-2028, engaging in regular policy discussions and consultations with stakeholders and sectors, quarterly reporting on macroeconomic progress, annual regional development reports, ongoing project monitoring, social media updates, information, education, and communication campaigns, as well as regional development communication and advocacy activities.
Crucially, the development plan is not a solitary effort but a result of a collaborative and consultative process. The Cordillera Regional Development Plan Council, in partnership with regional line agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academic institutions, spearheaded its formulation. This inclusive approach ensures that the plan reflects the diverse perspectives and needs of the Cordilleran people.
The Cordillera RDP 2023-2028 sets forth clear goals and outcomes, aiming to provide economic and social information essential for fostering a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Cordillera. Key areas of focus include developing and safeguarding the capabilities of individuals and families, transforming production sectors to establish quality jobs and competitive products, and creating an enabling environment encompassing institutions and the natural physical environment.
As the Cordillera region embarks on this transformative journey, the unveiling of the Regional Development Plan marks a crucial milestone, signaling a collective commitment to realizing a future where sustainable development and shared responsibilities lead to the prosperity of all its citizens. The plan serves as a compass, guiding the region towards a united and empowered future that cherishes its rich cultural heritage and spirituality. By Jackielyn Reyes
