Sec. Bong Go, Special Assistant to the President reiterated in his speech before members of the newly formed, Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Pantukan municipality, Compostela Valley province that the administration of President Duterte has named infrastructure and peace as among the top priorities in its Mindanao development agenda.
“Hindi katulad ng dati, sa panahon ni Pangulong Duterte, kayo ngayon ang priority,” said Sec. Go.
He enumerated several projects already in the pipeline, including the long-awaited Mindanao Railway project, which will shorten the travel time from Tagum City in Davao del Norte to Digos City in Davao del Sur from the current three to just one hour and thirty minutes. Other big ticket projects for Mindanao include the Php 5.4 billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation project in North Cotabato, the Php 98 billion Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network, and the Php 21 billion Improving Growth Sectors in Mindanao Road Sector Project.
By improving the ease of doing business in the region, many analysts expect that the Mindanao economy will undergo rapid expansion during the term of President
Duterte. This will especially be true once the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed, paving the way for lasting peace in the region.
Also according to Sec. Go, he will help in rallying support for the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro once it is presented for ratification through a plebiscite. He said the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) earlier asked for his support for the law’s passage.
“If it would help foster lasting peace in Mindanao, why not? The Moro people have been waiting for (BBL) for so long.” He added that, “personally masaya ako na officially napasa na ito matagal rin nilang hinintay ito (Personally, I am happy it was passed officially. They (Moro people) have been waiting for this,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro after six days of deliberations by the Senate and House panels in reconciling their respective versions of the landmark measure. | OSAP Media
