regional development updates | vol 14 issue 2 | april - june 2016

LGUs in Region XII Commit to Support AmBisyon Natin 2040

2 | Regional Development Updates | April - June 2016

Editor-in-ChiefRD ARTURO G. VALERO

Associate EditorARD NOEL E. QUIRATMAN

Contributing Editors JULIE ESPERANZA B. CHUNG

MARIA FELICIDAD R. GUERRERO ROSA D. LEMANA

MA. LULU E. VALENCIA JULIET G. BOLANDO

RDU Focal PersonsHELEN L. VESTAL

LALAINE M. SAJELANEDEN F. RIDAO

LIBERTY B. ARUMPACAPOLLO Y. MANLAWE

JUDD NICHOL L. LEONAR

Photographer APOLLO Y. MANLAWE

Layout Artist APOLLO Y. MANLAWE

Contributor PIA XII

EDITORIAL BOARD

The Regional Development Updates (RDU) is published quarterly by the Regional Development Council (RDC) XII with editorial office at the National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office XII, Prime Regional Government Center, Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City, South Cotabato, with Telephone No.: (083) 228-9203, Fax: (083) 228-9203. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit the manuscript for reasons of space and clarity. RDU assumes no responsibility on unpublished and unsolicited materials.

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Do you have questions, comments or suggestions? Send your letters with complete name and address to our editorial office mentioned above, or email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

CONTENTS


RDC XII Convenes last Meeting for the Term 2013-2016

RDC XII SNVM Desamito Awarded as the Country’s Most Outstanding ENP in 2016

RDC XII PSRs Participate in 7th National Convention in Albay

OCD XII Conducts RDANA Training for the Fourth Batch

On our cover is NEDA Deputy Director General Rosemarie G. Edillon in her attendance to the 54th RDC XII Meeting on June 22, 2016 in Koronadal City to present AmBisyon Natin 2040.

AmBisyon Natin 2040 is a nationwide survey on the aspirations, values and principles of Filipinos. The project aimed to develop a long-term vision for the Philippines.

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Volume 14 | Issue No. 2 | April - June 2016

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11 Poverty, Food Thresholds in Region XII Rise in the First Semester of 2015

RSC-SOV XII Opens Search for Outstanding Volunteer in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region

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12 NRO XII Staff Trained on Writing Resolutions and Other Legal Documents

April - June 2016 | Regional Development Updates | 3


LGUs in Region ... page 4

By: Eden F. Ridao, NEDA XII-DRD

Koronadal City, South Cotabato –Local officials and other LGU representatives who were present during the 54th Meeting of Regional Development Council (RDC) XII on 22 June 2016 at The Farm, Koronadal City, after having been briefed on AmBisyon Natin 2040, committed to support the realization of the long-term vision in their respective localities. They committed to present it during their forthcoming workshops for the formulation of their respective local development plans, as well as in the crafting of Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) of their respective new set of local leaders.

The briefing on AmBisyon Natin 2040 was done by

NEDA Deputy Director-General for Policy and Planning, Dr. Rosemarie G. Edillon.

According to DDG Edillon, the AmBisyon Natin 2040 reflects the Filipino people’s sentiments, aspirations and long-term vision for themselves and for the country for the next 25 years. It describes the kind of life that Filipinos want to live, as well as how the country will look like by 2040.

“We know that development is a long-term process. It takes many years, even decades for a country to reach a higher level of development so as to significantly raise living standards of people and, subsequently, eradicate poverty, as what our neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia have achieved,” DDG Edillon stated. “And because of the current political system in our country, government

planning has traditionally been bound by the six-year term of a presidency. This has often led to discontinuity of even good policies and programs. Thus, stakeholders have been clamoring for a long-term development plan that will ensure sustainability and continuity of good policies, programs and projects beyond the term of political administration”, she added.

“The AmBisyon Natin 2040 is the vision that will serve as the guide and anchor of the country’s development planning across at least four administrations,” DDG Edillon emphasized.

DDG Edillon also shared that producing the AmBisyon

“The AmBisyon Natin 2040 is the vision that will serve as the guide and anchor of the country’s development planning across at least four administrations,” DDG Edillon emphasized.


LGUs in Region ... from page 3

Koronadal City, South Cotabato – As provided for under EO 325, the term of office of the Chairman, Co-Chairman, and the private sector representatives to RDC XII shall be three years, coinciding with the regular term of local elective officials. In consonance with the said provisions, RDC XII conducted its last meeting for the term 2013-2016 on June 22, 2016 at The Farm @Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City.

In his opening message, RDC XII Acting Chairperson and NEDA XII Regional Director Arturo G. Valero said: “This is our last meeting for the current term, 2013-2016. We will be undertaking a reorganization process next month starting with the selection of the PSRs for the term 2016-2019. I hope by the next term, we would have a presidential appointee Chairperson for this Council. For this current term, we submitted two (2) nominees each for Chairperson and Co-Chairperson; however, the President has not appointed a Chair nor a Co-Chair. As this term ends, we thank the PSRs for their active involvement in pursuing regional development. We are proud to say that we have done a lot and this will be reported later as part of the meeting agenda.”

Being its last meeting, RDC XII recognized the significant contributions of the PSRs to the Council for the last three years by awarding them with Plaques

Natin 2040 outputs involved the conduct of a series of nationwide consultations through focus group discussions, which were participated in by representatives from various sectors (i.e., youth, fisherfolk, formal workers, farmers, urban poor, disaster survivors, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, families of overseas workers, and government workers); the conduct of national survey (with around 10,000 respondents aging 15-50 years old); and the writing of evidence-based thematic papers, and quantitative projections, among others.

Based on the results of nationwide consultations and survey, DDG Edillon further shared that the vision of Filipinos for themselves in 2040 could be summed up into simply having “a simple and comfortable life.”

“For Filipinos, this kind of life is described as having a medium-sized home, having enough earnings to support everyday needs, owning at least one car/vehicle, having the capacity to provide their children college education, and going on local trips for vacation”, DDG Edillon explained. “Hence, to make our future development plans (both national and local) responsive and effective, they must be anchored toward the progressive realization of these aspirations and dreams of the Filipino people,” the DDG concluded.

When asked on the likelihood that the incoming Duterte Administration will support the AmBisyon Natin 2040, DDG Edillon expressed her optimism that the President-elect would support it, considering that the incoming Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, having been briefed about it recently, had expressed positive response and committed to support it.

Participants took their turns to question NEDA DDG Edillon after her presentation of AmBisyon Nation 2040 during the 54th RDC XII Full Council Meeting on June 22, 2016 in Koronadal City.


RDC XII Convenes Last Meeting for the Term 2013-2016

By: Helen L. Vestal, NEDA XII-DRD

of Appreciation. Also during the meeting, Mayor Diosdado G. Pallasigue of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat and the Province of South Cotabato were awarded with Plaques of Recognition for introducing innovations geared towards regional development, through their respective projects.

As part of the agenda of the meeting, the AmBisyon Natin 2040, which contains a long-term vision for the Philippines based on the aspirations, values and principles of Filipinos, was presented by NEDA Deputy

Director-General Rosemarie G. Edillon. After the presentation, RDC XII Acting Chairperson Valero, together with the PSRs, presented a Plaque of Appreciation to DDG Edillon for sharing knowledge and information on AmBisyon Natin 2040.

In preparation for the reorganization process of the Council, the guidelines for the selection of PSRs for the term 2016-2019, as well as the options for PSR allocation were presented for deliberation. The two options for PSR allocation

presented were: a) Option 1- by sectoral and geographical allocation, and b) Option 2- by basic sector.

Option 1 is the current allocation adopted by the Council, where the four provinces and their component cities, the highly urbanized city of General Santos and the independent city of Cotabato, the labor sector and the four sectors of the region (economic, social, infrastructure and governance) are represented. In addition, one PSR representing the designated regional center is also included.

RDC XII Convenes ... page 6

RDC XII members participated in the deliberation of the guidelines for the selection of Private Sector Representatives (PSR) for the term 2016-2019. Two (2) options for PSR allocation were presented.


Koronadal City, South Cotabato - The Regional Search Committee-Search for Outstanding Volunteer (RSC-SOV) XII met on June 28, 2016 at NEDA XII Building, Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City for a briefing on the details of the selection process for the 2016 SOV. The RSC XII is composed of NEDA, CSC, TESDA, CHEDA, DILG, PIA and RDC Private Sector Representative Jose Ronie V. Mondragon of the Labor Sector.

In his opening message, NEDA XII Regional Director Arturo G. Valero, RSC-SOV Chairperson, thanked and reminded the members of the Committee to continuously support the activity to encourage individuals and organizations to sustain their volunteer works in the region.

The briefing marked the start of the yearly search for outstanding

RSC-SOV XII Opens Search for Outstanding Volunteer in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region

By: Apollo Y. Manlawe, NEDA XII-DRD

volunteers in SOCCSKSARGEN. The search is open to all Filipino volunteers and organizations which provide volunteer assistance in the region.

The SOV award has three categories, viz:

a) National Outstanding Volunteer Award for Individual-Youth and Adult and for Organization –

Non-profit and Corporate;

b) Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award for individual or organization whose achievement is regarded as an inspiration and role model in the field of volunteerism; and

c) Special Citation in Volunteerism to recognize volunteering efforts and/or

RDC XII Convenes ... from page 5

Under Option 2, the PSOs which represent the fourteen (14) NAPC-identified basic sectors shall nominate their representative to the Council. After a thorough deliberation, the Council adopted the current geographical/sectoral PSR allocation for the next term.

The PSR selection process is still at its initial stage where the RDC XII Secretariat is evaluating the qualifications of the PSOs based on the criteria set in EO 325.

Other agenda tackled during the Council meeting were: SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Report 2015,

updates on the activities of the SOCCSKSARGEN Regional El Niño Task Force and the reports of the four (4) sectoral and two (2) affiliate committees, for information and appropriate action of RDC XII.

A total of 27 resolutions were passed by the Council during the meeting.

RSC-SOV Chairperson and NEDA XII RD Arturo G. Valero (left) reminded the members of the Committee to continuously support the activity to encourage individuals and organizations to sustain their volunteer works in the region.


RDC XII SNVM Desamito Awarded as the Country’s Most Outstanding ENP of 2016By: Ricardo L. Lamorena III, NEDA XII-PFPD/Liberty B. Arumpac, NEDA XII-DRD)

Koronadal City, South Cotabato – RDC XII Special Non-Voting Member (SNVM) Celestino F. Desamito was adjudged the Most Outstanding Environmental Planner (EnP) for 2016 by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The award, Most Outstanding EnP for 2016, was handed to SNVM Desamito at the Manila Hotel on June 22, 2016.

SNVM Desamito was recognized by PRC for his lifelong commitment in upholding volunteerism and community

development, insatiable quest for continuing professional education, and outstanding contributions to nation-building as urban and regional planner – the People’s Veterinarian, Altruistic Volunteer, Unstoppable Community Development Worker, Disaster Manager, and Practicing Development Planner on the Ground.

Tinoy, as SNVM Desamito is fondly called, was cited by PRC for advancing the environmental planning profession from the grassroots and exemplifying the various roles of a Filipino planner as a strategist, advocate, communicator, teacher, community development worker, facilitator, entrepreneur and volunteer.

RDC XII Special Non-Voting Member Col. Desamito expressed his ideas during the 53rd RDC XII Full Council Meeting on March 30, 2016 in General Santos City.

support to volunteerism by an individual, group or organization that do not qualify under the regular SOV categories but which are deemed equally meritorious in accomplishment.

SOCCSKSARGEN Region has already produced eight (8) SOV national winners, viz: seven (7) winners for Individual-adult category that included Conchita Mistral, Bai Fatima Sinsuat, Bro. Andres Betita, Yusoph Mohammad, Col. Celestino F. Desamito, and Datu Lamberto A. Delfin; and one (1) for the Individual-youth category, John Oliver Tablazon.

The 2016 SOV will culminate with the awarding ceremony during the celebration of the National Volunteer Month (NVM) in December this year.

RDC XII SNVM ... page 8

RDC XII SNVM Col. Desamito was awarded as 2016 Outstanding Environmental Planner during the PRC Awards Night on June 22, 2016 at the Manila Hotel.


As published in the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners Newsletter, Issue no. 5, 2016-2017, Col. Desamito’s accomplishments have been manifested by the various awards received, viz: Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) on Community Development, Most Outstanding National Volunteer, Most Outstanding UP Alumnus on Community Development, Most Outstanding Alumnus of the UP-SURP, and Most Outstanding

Veterinarian in Rural Practice. In addition, he is also a recipient of the House of Representatives’ Commendation on Rural Development.

Even in his senior years, Col. Desamito continued to pursue higher education. Recently he completed his master’s degree on Tropical Risk Management and is now pursuing his PhD in Extension Education.

Aside from being an SNVM of RDC XII, Col. Desamito is also a Private Sector Representative to the Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC) XII and Regional Social Development Committee (RSDC) XII, Special Member of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) XII, and Member of the Provincial Land Use Committee (PLUC) of the Province of South Cotabato.

RDC XII PSRs Participate in7th National Convention in AlbayBy: Judd Nichol L. Leonar, NEDA XII-DRD

Koronadal City, South Cotabato – “PSRs in Governance: Moving Forward to Sustained and Equitable Growth,” is the theme of the recently concluded 7th Private Sector Representatives (PSRs) National Convention held in Legazpi City, Albay on April

26-29, 2016. The convention which was attended by RDC PSRs, as well as NEDA Officials and staff all over the country, experienced the rich and colorful history and culture of the Bicol Region which highlighted the 7th RDC PSRs National Convention.

A total of eight (8) delegates out of the thirteen (13) PSRs to RDC XII attended the said event, namely: PSR Richlie Lyndon Magtulis of Sarangani Province; PSR Alfredo Bronx P. Hebrona of the Infrastructure Sector; PSR Rolando S. Doria of the

RDC XII SNVM ... from page 7


Economic Sector; PSR Nestor S. Lumawig of Koronadal City; PSR Vispocious E. Ramos, Sr. of the Basic Sector; PSR Perfecto F. Marquez of Cotabato City; PSR Januario B. Espejo of Kidapawan City; and PSR Jose Ronie V. Mondragon of the Labor Sector.

The Convention was hosted by NEDA/RDC Region 5 headed by RDC 5 Chairperson and Albay Governor Joey S. Salceda, RDC 5 Vice-Chairperson and NEDA Regional Director Agnes M. Espinas, and RDC 5 PSR and Lead Convenor Fr. Ramon Segubiense.

The event started with the registration of delegates on April 26 followed by the parade of the heads of each region’s delegation. Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal and the National Convention Lead Convenor Fr. Segubiense welcomed the participants. NEDA Deputy Director General Rolando G. Tungpalan delivered the keynote address, urging the private sector to engage more with government to attain Sustainable Development and Inclusive

Growth. Speakers from various private sector organizations of the country presented topics primarily on the role of PSRs in Local Governance, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth. The evening session “ILUSTRADO”, which was sponsored by Albay Governor Salceda, featured a radiant and magnificent presentation of the Albay Culture and History from the nostalgic folk singing and dancing, with the delegates savoring the well-known spicy Bicol Express, Laing and other bicolano food.

The second day of the convention started with a breakfast business meeting of the delegation heads and NEDA counterparts to discuss the key issues and concerns of the convention, such as representation of PSRs to the RDCs, budgetary concerns for PSR representation, and the hosting of the next National Convention. It was agreed that Region XII shall host the 2018 annual event. Parallel sessions were conducted by sector, namely: Social, Infrastructure, Economic and Development Administration.

PSRs participating in the said sessions discussed topics related to the sector. They also shared the best practices of their regions. It was then followed by a workshop on how to address the PSR issues with the best practices as discussed earlier and the outputs were presented later that day. The afternoon event was highlighted with the Resolution and Agreements signing of the various PSR Delegation Heads with their NEDA counterparts. The evening event called Mayor’s Night with the theme “Glitz and Glamour” featured a 20th Century era of music and dancing. Mayor Rosal of Legazpi City also presented the profile of the City, as well as the Public-Private initiatives and partnerships of the area which helped in the elevation of the city’s economic status.

A tour of the cities of Legazpi and Naga and the province of Sorsogon concluded the last day of the National Convention. Delegates who opted for the Naga City tour visited the Haciendas de Naga, Peñafrancia Churches, as well as the CamSur Watersports Complex. Delegates who selected the Sorsogon tour experienced real encouter with a Whaleshark (Butanding).

The convention marks the last PSR convention before the reorganization of RDCs starting July 1, 2016 when the new administration comes in. Region VII shall host the event next year tentatively set in Cebu City.


OCD XII Conducts RDANA Training for the Fourth Batch

By: Helen L.. Vestal, NEDA XII-DRD

Koronadal City, South Cotabato – A total of 37 participants from the member agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDDRRMC) XII and selected personnel from the local disaster risk reduction and management councils participated in a four-day training on Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) on April 18-21, 2016 at Sun City Suites, General Santos City.

The training was conducted by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) XII as part of the agency’s mandate, as provided for under Republic Act No. 10121, “to formulate standard operating procedures for the deployment of rapid assessment teams, information sharing among different government agencies, and coordination before and after disasters at all levels”

RDANA is a disaster response tool that is used immediately during the early and critical onset of a disaster. In particular, RDANA: a) aims to determine the immediate relief and response requirements, and b) identifies the magnitude of a disaster by focusing on the general impact on the society and the people’s coping capacity.

It works by providing a quick “snapshot” of the disaster situation, as it determines the type and extent of damages brought about by a disaster, including its secondary threats, the critical needs of the affected population, and the local response capacities. It allows the prescription of the priorities for response and recovery activities, and serves as a basis for recommending the need for international assistance, if necessary.

The training aims to equip the participants with knowledge on: a) identifying processes and principles used in RDANA;

b) coordinating mechanisms between the actors involved in the assessment; c) determining the procedures involved before, during and after RDANA mission; d) providing skills needed to assess information on disaster-stricken sites; and e) applying appropriate assessment methods in a simulated disaster impacted site.

Aside from the interactive lectures and discussion, the participants were also subjected to group and simulation exercises during the course of the training.

Photo opportunity of the participants with OCD Assistant Regional Director Jerome Barranco after the training on Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis on April 21, 2016 at Sun City Suites, General Santos City.


Koronadal City, South Cotabato - Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) XII revealed that poverty and food thresholds in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased in the first semester last year.

PSA XII Regional Director Maqtahar Manulon said that the poverty threshold went up by 13.5 percent while the food threshold rose to 13.1 percent.

“From P9,243 in 2012, poverty threshold in Region XII rose to P10,488. In the case of the food threshold, from P6,446 in 2012, it went up to P7,291,” Manulon noted.

Among the four provinces in the region, South Cotabato posted the highest poverty and food thresholds with P11,041 and P7,681, respectively.

Sultan Kudarat, on the other hand, has the lowest poverty and food thresholds with P10,234 and P7,140, respectively.

Meanwhile, improvements on the poverty incidence among families were recorded in the provinces of South and North Cotabato with 28.0% and 43.9% in 2012 to 24.9% and 41.8% in the first sem of 2015, respectively.

Both provinces also posted improvements in the subsistence incidence or the proportion of Filipinos whose income falls below the food threshold with 29.3% in 2012 to 25.0% in 2015 in North Cotabato and 14.5% in 2012 to 12.4% in 2015 in South Cotabato.

The regional director also stated that a family of five in the region needed a minimum monthly

Poverty, Food Thresholds in Region XII Rise in the 1st Sem of 2015

By: Shahana Joy Duerme, PIA XII

income of P8,740 to meet their food and non- food basic needs.

“The average income of a poor individual must increase by 36.5% for him not to be considered poor,” Manulon noted.

The PSA official, emphasized that they will bare the complete data for 2015 in October this year.

NRO XII Staff Trained on Writing Resolutions and Other Legal Documents

Koronadal City, South Cotabato - A one-day training-workshop on writing resolutions and other legal documents was conducted on April 20, 2016 and participated in by the NEDA XII staff. Director Jocelyn P. Reyes and Atty. Roumella Alpasan-Base, both from the NEDA Legal Staff, were the resource persons.

The objective of the activity is to hone the technical skills of the NEDA staff in performing its job as the Secretariat of the Regional Development Council (RDC) XII.

Among others, Director Reyes discussed the preparation of documents like the agenda, transcript, action memo, minutes, resolutions, and certification. “The development of an agenda is the first step we do in preparing for a meeting where issues to be taken up are indicated,” she said. She emphasized that it is important

to inform the invitees about the agenda as this will provide them with a clear basic information on issues/concerns that need to be discussed and resolved during the meeting.

Reyes also pointed out the critical role of the Secretariat in the conduct of meetings as they provide technical and administrative support to the Chairperson.

In preparing resolutions, Reyes advised to be always conscious of the following, namely: (a) the resolution title; (b) its preamble; and (c) the operative clause. She also provided some tips in writing a resolution, foremost of which is to make it simple and concise but covers the essential issues that need to be resolved.

A discussion on the disclosure policy of documents was likewise covered. According to Reyes, all available documents


By: Liberty B. Arumpac, NEDA XII-DRD

should be listed and properly labelled as either top secret, secret, confidential, restricted, open, and available.

Meanwhile, Atty. Base shared her knowledge in preparing and writing legal documents, particularly the vital portion of contracts. An open forum followed to clarify some concerns relative to documents frequently prepared by the staff.

After the lectures, a workshop on writing resolutions was conducted which Director Reyes collected for comments and further enhancement.The activity was concluded with a simple closing program and dinner.

Above - NEDA XII RD Arturo G. Valero awarded Atty. Jocelyn T. Reyes a Plaque of Appreciation after the training-workshop on writing resolutions and other legal documents on April 20, 2016 in Koronadal City.

regional development updates | vol 14 issue 2 | april - june 2016

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