The National Economic and Development Authority 11 (NEDA 11) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed preparatory documents for the upcoming JICA-funded Technical Cooperation Project entitled “Comprehensive and Sustainable Urban Development Master Plan for Metropolitan Davao” on Friday at the NEDA-RDC 11 Center in Bangkal, Davao City.
The master plan, which shall be formulated from 2023 to 2024, shall be the main reference document to guide the rational and sustainable urban development of the Metropolitan Davao by the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA), once organized.
In her message, Maria Lourdes Lim, regional director of NEDA 11, said the signing signals the commencement of the master plan formulation project implementation and a concrete manifestation of NEDA 11’s commitment, backed up by the full support of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 11, to ensure that Davao Region, particularly the 15 LGUs under the jurisdiction of the MDDA, shall achieve sustainable development.
“NEDA 11 expresses gratitude to the government of Japan and the leadership of the JICA-Tokyo Headquarters and the mission team, for approving the technical cooperation project to formulate a Comprehensive and Sustainable Urban Master Plan for Metropolitan Davao, thereby giving Davao Region, particularly the Metropolitan Davao area, the opportunity to develop its potentials under a metropolitan arrangement that would also incorporate the principles of “smart cities” and transport oriented development. Under this arrangement, collaboration among the local government units should be convergent and sustainable, as the implementation of priority programs and projects at the local level is most crucial,” Lim said.
Lim also highlighted the two-pronged approach of the Davao Region in institutionalizing Metropolitan Davao and formulating the master plan for Metropolitan Davao to implement the overall spatial development strategy of the region.
She said this spatial development strategy involves the expansion of Metropolitan Davao into a Comprehensive Outcomes for Rural Empowerment (C.O.R.E.) Growth Triangle focuses on the growth centers along the Davao Gulf and Metropolitan Davao.
She expressed gratitude to the former mayor of Davao City and chairperson of the Metropolitan Davao Development Coordinating Committee or MDDCC from 2019 to June 2022, Vice President Sara Duterte for her primordial role in the enactment of Republic Act 11708-creating the MDDA, which was signed into law by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte in April 2022.
Lim said the signing is only the beginning of many months of formulation and project implementation activities covering the calendar years 2023 and 2024.
She said NEDA 11 is confident that this project will be a successful endeavor, given the sustainable support from the national, regional, and local leadership, as well as from all sectors of society, who are the beneficiaries of this project.
