The Mindanao region, which has long been enduring perennial unequal share of the national pie, should get more projects from the Aquino government’s centerpiece private-public partnership (PPP) program.
Davao del Norte governor Rodolfo del Rosario, the newly-elected president of the Confederation of Provincial Governors, City Mayors and Municipal Mayors League Presidents of Mindanao (Confed), has expressed concern that only one project was allocated for Mindanao out of the 10 PPP projects identified for implementation nationwide next year.
Last week, the Aquino administration bidded out more than P100 billion in infrastructure projects for 2011 that will boost tourism, improve the food supply chain and improve general infrastructure all over the country.
Del Rosario lamented that of the 10 vital infrastructure projects opened for both local and foreign private investments under the PPP program, only the privatization of the Laguindingan Airport Operation and Maintenance project was given to Mindanao.
“That could mean either there are no viable projects for Mindanao or we are neglecting ourselves by not proposing good projects to the national government,” he said.
Del Rosario said the persistent meager shares of Mindanao from the national budget could be explained since funds from the national government are being appropriated to the regions and LGUs based on certain criteria like population, land area, income, and in some cases, the onslaught of calamities.
But, with the PPP program that requires no guidance of population and other criteria, it is wrong that the island will not get an equal share of the big-ticket infrastructure projects.
He said there are quite a good number of important projects for Mindanao that he believes would really qualify under the PPP program.
“All we have to do is propose major projects for Mindanao. But, nobody seems to be looking into it,” he observed.
According to him, the problem lies in the nonchalant participation of Mindanao leaders in local development planning, which has resulted in the region getting only miniscule shares of the national budget.
“Most of the provinces in Mindanao are not doing their planning properly and they are not submitting the proper requirements to the RDC for consideration and for presentation to the NEDA,” he observed.
He said that as Confed president he will see to it that critical development programs and projects in Mindanao will be funded, particularly those that require private sector participation under the government’s PPP program.
As Confed president, Del Rosario is mandated by law to sit as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA) which was created last February to “promote, coordinate and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all sectors to effect the socioeconomic development of Mindanao.”
“Now that we have the MINDA, I urge every governor and mayor of Mindanao to better start working and come up with worthwhile projects that can provide the necessary push to develop Mindanao. We must press for a bigger share of the national budget,” Del Rosario appealed.
He said that worthwhile projects under the PPP program should include, among others, the proposed reclamation project in Davao City; opening up of new arterial highways to decongest the national road leading to Davao City and the proposed Davao del Norte-Agusan Sur road via barangay Gupitan of Kapalong town.
