BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) endorsed the proposed budgets of 26 regional line agencies, six state universities and colleges, and the Metropolitan BLISTT Development Authority (MBLISTTDA). The approval of the latter’s proposed budget signals the full operation of the office that will accelerate the social, economic, and political development in Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay.
A total of PhP123.76 billion was proposed covering regular and new programs and projects for better public service and ensuring equitable development in the region. Bulk of the proposed budgets are for the social and infrastructure development sectors with 42 percent and 37 percent share, respectively.
The Council also endorsed 17 farm-to-market road (FMR) projects for the Department of Agriculture’s FMR Development Program and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program. These projects, totaling 44.32 kilometers are expected to improve connectivity and access to farms including those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Moreover, the Council endorsed the proposed Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools or ISRS Project of the Department of Education for approval of the Investment Coordination Committee of NEDA Board. The ISRS project, which aims to support the resilient recovery of disaster-affected schools in selected regions around the country, will be funded through a World Bank loan amounting to PhP27.5 billion and a Philippine Government counterpart of PhP3.55 billion. For the region, it is expected to be implemented in 118 schools with 253 buildings benefitting 17,286 students.
Other notable project endorsements were for the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities (VISTA) and Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT).
The VISTA aims to increase income and employment and climate resilience of target groups in fragile upland areas, through the strengthening of inclusive value chains with conservation and sustainable use of the natural resources. The SPLIT project aims to improve land tenure security and stabilize the property rights of the agrarian reform beneficiaries.
RDC Chair and Apayao Gov. Elias C. Bulut, Jr. led the Council during the meeting and passed the reins to Co-Chairperson Ms. Edna Tabanda in honor of Women’s Month. In his message, Governor Bulut reiterated his position to promote renewable energy and appealed for commitment to true justice and inclusive growth with no community left behind.
Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon Asst. Secretary Ana Carmela Ventura-Remigio echoed Gov. Bulut’s plea that no one should be left behind. She emphasized that they are not just passive observers but active architects shaping the narrative of regional development. She also reminded everyone, “Each decision we make, and each initiative we undertake holds the power to shape countless lives, let us, therefore, approach our responsibilities with unwavering determination and boundless compassion.” By Victor Eugene Caccam
