Mindanao leaders laud passage of MinDA law

The signing of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Mindanao Development Bill into Mindanao Development Authority Act of 2010 on Wednesday has solicited positive reactions from major stakeholders of Mindanao.
“Its a major milestone in the Arroyo administration and a big boost to Mindanao,” Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) chair Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana said.
The MinDA will cover Mindanao and Palawan as a focus area for the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) along with Mindanao.
The MinDA shall act as the official and permanent Philippine Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA.
“PGMA has shown again her great concern for Mindanao when signed into law MinDA and now we Mindanaons must support this agency to make it successfully perform its functions,” said Deputy House Speaker Simeon Datumanong.
Datumanong is one of the principal authors of the bill’s Congress version.
The other principal authors of the Congress version are Rep. Datu Pax Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro while co-authors include 37 congressmen from the Mindanao bloc.
Meanwhile, the Senate version of MinDA Bill is principally authored by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and co-authored by Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Edgardo Angara, Manny Villar, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Lito Lapid, Jose “Jinggoy” Ejercito Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Pia Cayetano and Juan Ponce Enrile.
“We Mindanaonons are so thankful to PGMA for signing the MINDA Bill into law. This law will establish Mindanao-wide agency for the comprehensive integrated and faster development of Mindanao,” Rodriguez said.
“This MinDA will not only bring in more funds and projects for Mindanao but will likewise serve as the engine of development of Mindanao as part of the BIMP-EAGA,” he said.
Rodriguez said that as principal co-author he is glad to have helped advance the cause of Mindanao for peace and development.
“The signing of the MinDA Bill into law is a historic milestone for Mindanao because this heralds the end of a decades-long wait and long-felt need for Mindanao to have a permanent development agency,” Leyretana said.
“This is a landmark piece of legislation which will be a legacy of President Arroyo, as well as the Congress and the Senate, to Mindanao,” he said.
Leyretana said that about 18 ad hoc bodies had been overseeing Mindanao development through the years, but were either emasculated, replaced, absorbed by other agencies, or abolished altogether with a change in national leadership.
During her recent visit to Davao City, President Arroyo said she was excited to sign the bill as she was also once authored the bill when she was senator.
Various sectors in Mindanao have been rallying strongly for the passage of the bill in view of the need for Mindanao to catch up with mainstream national development.