NEDA REITERATES NEED FOR DEV’T PARTNERS TO ALIGN PROGRAMS WITH UPDATED PDP, RESULTS MATRICES

MANILA—The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reminded development partners, including multilateral banks, to align their cooperation frameworks and technical assistance in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 Midterm Update.

NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando G. Tungpalan made this statement during the Kick-Off Meeting for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Philippine Country Program Confirmation Mission held at the Astoria Plaza, Pasig City on April 28, 2014.  

“The Updated PDP outlines what is urgent and what needs to be done by 2016.  It has an accompanying document, the Results Matrices (RM), which details the outcome indicators in attaining the Updated PDP goals.  These two instruments are essential for development partners in aligning their operations with our country’s goal of attaining inclusive growth,” Tungpalan said.

Tungpalan said the Updated PDP and Revalidated RM are products of extensive multistakeholder consultation and present updated strategies and targets in attaining the overarching goal of inclusive growth half-way into the administration’s term.  President Aquino approved the documents last month.

The meeting is the start of a series of dialogues between ADB and Philippine government agencies in firming up ADB’s lending and technical assistance pipelines for its Country Operations Business Plan 2015-2017.  The strategic priorities of ADB’s assistance in the next three years are employment and income generation, regional development, services (e.g., power, water supply and sanitation), and public sector management and other crosscutting support.

Tungpalan said that apart from aligning ADB’s plan with the priorities of the Philippine government, the development partner should also consider the capability of agencies to implement a program or project under a particular institutional arrangement.

“Alignment is always easy to measure.  What we also need to address is the issue of appropriateness of modality of institutional arrangements, which sometimes gets in the way.  We have to address those risks, so that every program or project will contribute significantly to rapid and sustained economic growth and reduction of poverty in all its dimensions,” Tungpalan emphasized.

Among the 2016 targets of the Updated PDP and Revalidated RM are the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.5-8.5 percent, unemployment rates of 6.5-6.7 percent and poverty incidence of 18-20 percent.

The meeting was attended by ADB officials led by its Philippines Country Office Director Richard Bolt.  Apart from Tungpalan, Directors Jonathan L. Uy and Roderick M. Planta of NEDA’s Public Investment Staff (PIS) and Monitoring and Evaluation Staff (MES) also attended on the Philippine government’s side, along with officials from various oversight and line agencies.

​The Asian Development Bank (ADB) ensures alignment of its program and operations with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 Midterm Update. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy Director-General Rolando G. Tungpalan (right) and Mr. Richard Bolt, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Philippines Country Office Director (left) discussed strategic priorities after the Kick-Off Meeting for the Philippine Country Program Confirmation Mission held at the Astoria Plaza, Pasig City on April 28, 2014.  The ADB Country Mission aims to ensure the alignment of ADB programs and operations with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 Midterm Update’s outcomes through discussion and review of government demands and priorities as well as lending and technical assistance pipelines for its Country Operations Business Plan 2015-2017.