Dispatches

Given the possibility of a food crisis, everybody’s looking toward Mindanao, the supposed food basket of the Philippines. But how far is the island from that status?

A recent assessment of government projects in Mindanao, made by the Presidential Management Staff and the Mindanao Economic and Development Council (MEDCO), showed that only three of the 27 high-priority projects considered critical in transforming Mindanao into the country’s main food producer have been completed.

MEDCO coordinates development and peace projects in Mindanao and serves as the official and permanent Philippine Coordinating Office for the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

MEDCO chair Virgilio Leyretana discussed with Newsbreak’s Jesus Llanto the many factors in the slow growth of the super region—among them the lack of crucial infrastructure, the very limited employment opportunities, and the region’s dependence on foreign donor agencies. Excerpts:

How is the Mindanao economy doing?

For the last five years, we have been a resilient economy despite the intermittent disturbances in the peace and order. We performed 5.2 percent in 2006 .We even beat the Visayas [at 4.9 percent].

What is the main driver of growth?

It is still agriculture, but since 2006 [the] services [sector] has been picking up because of the growth of the ICT (information and communications technology) and BPO (business process outsourcing).

Are the Mindanaoans benefiting from this growth?

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This interview is part of the Mindanao Online Reporting Project in Mindanao funded by the Australian Embassy.

By Jesus Llanto
Researcher

April 14, 2008-How do you ensure that your local government is being run honestly? You either train the spotlight on it, or work with it. Thirty-three groups that propose to do this each received a maximum P1 million on Thursday to pursue projects that will engage their choice local government units (LGUs), specifically in the areas of delivery of basic social services, governance and administration, livelihood and enterprise management, and environmental management.

Called Panibagong Paraan, this is the third search by the World Bank for innovative ideas to address development challenges in the Philippines. Held every two years, each search is governed by a theme.

The 2008 search is for project proposals that seek to improve local governance by ensuring transparency and efficiency in LGUs. Depending on the requirements of the project, the World Bank and partner institutions give a maximum funding of P1 million for each project. (abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)

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