NEDA CONCLUDES REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS FOR PDP UPDATING

MANILA—The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has conducted regional consultations for the updating of Philippine Development Plan (PDP), 2011-2016 and the revalidation of Results Matrix (RM), 2011-2016.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that the consultations aim “to ensure that stakeholders at the regional level take part in the planning process.” NEDA convened representatives from local governments, private sector, civil society groups, and other local development stakeholders in all 16 regions of the country.

The PDP is being updated to assess and address gaps, constraints and bottlenecks in attaining rapid, sustained and inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires generating high-quality jobs in second-tier and satellite areas and promoting human capital development.  These entail deliberate government action and a better coordination of government efforts,” said Secretary Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director General.

Through the regional consultations, NEDA also hopes to achieve greater cohesion between the Philippine Development Plan and the Regional Development Plans.

“We want the regions to be able to do the assessment themselves, identify challenges faced by the region, and their proposed major regional programs and/or subnational programs in support of the national development agenda,” the NEDA head noted.

“We need to think beyond outputs of individual agencies, but rather a strategic framework for the sector involving several agencies and stakeholders ,” he added.

To ensure that inclusive growth is mainstreamed into the process, strategies in the updated Plan will more closely consider spatial and sectoral dimensions.

Overseas Filipinos and their families will also be explicitly regarded in the Plan as they constitute one of the sources of growth and development for the country.

“We don’t just seek to consolidate, we want to integrate concerns and various efforts of all stakeholders to influence outcomes toward inclusive growth,” Secretary Balisacan concluded.

Meanwhile, the Results Matrix – as PDP’s accompanying document, will be revalidated. It contains the list of indicators that can be monitored to determine the progress of the Plan.

Both the PDP Midterm Update and the revalidated Results Matrix will highlight three critical elements: high and sustained economic growth; growth that generates mass employment; and growth that reduces poverty and facilitates the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 

Transparent and responsive governance, guaranteed national security and peace, and ecological integrity will remain overarching platforms in implementing the strategies in the Plan.

The printed copy of the PDP Midterm Update is expected to be available before the end of the year.

M.R. No. 2013-048

21 May 2013