Aiming to distribute economic growth among its municipalities by linking major urban centers, key production areas, and market centers, the Central Visayas (Region VII) on Friday launched the Regional Developement Plan (RDP) 2017-2022.
RDPs are socioeconomic development counterplan of different regions in the country in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, which was identified by President Duterte as the guide of national and local government agencies’ programs, budgets, and strategies.
With this, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said, “Central Visayas is moving forward in sustaining its development through connectivity. This will promote economic integration, reduce poverty, and increase opportunities for human development across provinces.”
Pernia clarified that part of the region’s Spatial Development Strategy were the construction and upgrading of arterial roads, integrattion transportation systems, and development secondary and major ports.
In the region, Infrastructure Flagship Projects identified by the NEDA Board are the New Cebu International Container Port, New Bohol Airport in Panglao Island, Cebu-Bohol Link Bridge, Bohol-Leyte Link Bridge, Cebu-Negros Link Bridge, and the Bohol Northeast Basin Multipurpose Project.
Moreover, the RDP identified Metro Cebu as the region’s metropolitan center and Metro Tagbilaran (Bohol) as its regional center in its proposed network of urban centers — supporting the Sub-regional centers including Bogo-San Remigio (Cebu), Toledo City-Balamban (Cebu), Metro Dumaguete (Negros Oriental), and Tubigon (Bohol).
Meanwhile, NEDA Regional Director Efren B. Carreon said that tourism, information technology, business process outsourcing, manufacturing, and construction as growth drivers of the region, saying, “For the next six years, Central Visayas will continue to be a major growth center in the country by making the most of our strategic location and diverse sources of growth.”
Carreon also stated that Visayas Region had the highest growth momentum among all regions in the last regional plan period of 2011-2016, with a GRDP average growth rate of 7.5 percent, higher than the National Capital Region.
With this, the region is aiming to reach a GRDP growth rate of 8.3-8.8 percent, reduced poverty incident among families to 17.6 percent, and cut the unemplyment rate to 3-4 percent by the year 2022. | Renzie Nombre (OJT) – PTV
