MinDA approved on bicam meeting
(January 25, 2010)
Mindanao Development Authority. The Senate and the House of Representatives approved here last week (19 January) on a bicameral meeting the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Bill, which will establish a permanent development agency for Mindanao. Sitting (from left) are Cong. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin, Cong. Felix Alfelor of Bicol, chairman of the House Committee on Government enterprises, Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of Senate sub-committee on MEDA Bill, and Cong. Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao. Standing are Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Cong. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and MEDCo chairman Usec. Virgilio Leyretana
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MANILA --- The Senate and the House of Representatives approved here last week (19 January, Tuesday) on a bicameral meeting the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Bill, which heralds the establishment of the longed-felt need for a permanent Mindanao development agency.
The MinDA Bill has been pushed in view of the need for Mindanao to catch up with the mainstream national development. Previous advocacies for the creation of the first Mindanao Development Authority (MDA) dates back to 1960.
Both Houses harmonized two versions of the bill which are the Senate Bill 3496 or MEDA Bill and the House Bill 6958. SB 3496 was approved by the Senate last December 15 2009 while the HB 6958 was approved by Congress on 16 November 2009.
“An effective institutional mechanism shall be established to address the need for a coordinative and integrative approach for the formulation and implementation of various inter-regional and/or Mindanao-wide development plans, programs and projects,” as stated in the declaration of policy.
The bicameral meeting was chaired by Senator Edgardo Angara and Cong. Felix Alfelor of Bicol, chairman of the House Committee on Government enterprises. The meeting was also attended by conferees Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Cong. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, Cong. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin, and Cong. Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao.
The MinDA as adopted by both houses will not only focus on the economic development of Mindanao but also the social, political and cultural aspects of development in the island.
The MinDA, when created, shall also act as implementing agency – as may be allowed by law or applicable regulation – for Mindanao-specific interregional and Mindanao-wide programs and projects. The authority shall cover all provinces and cities in Region IX, X, XI, XII, Caraga and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The MinDA Bill also provide for the promotion and active participation of Mindanao and Palawan in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
Likewise, the MinDA shall also establish a stronger BIMP-EAGA Advisory Board with the inclusion of a Senate and House representative. The advisory board shall recommend policies and programs to ensure the widest participation of Mindanao and Palawan in BIMP-EAGA.
The MinDA shall also be a member to the Tourism Investment and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which is borne out of the newly enacted Tourism Act.
In a previous statement, Senator Angara said that Filipino leaders have seen the potentials of Mindanao a long time ago, saying that “despite efforts to develop the island-region, it has never been done on a continuing and sustained basis."
Likewise, Cong. Rodriguez has also said in a previous statement that the time for lip service to Mindanao should end and the time for affirmative action for Mindanao has to begin.
Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), lauded the approval of the bill as it only validates both Houses’ commitment to develop Mindanao and accelerate the region's inclusion in the mainstream of national body politic.
"The enactment of the Bill is seen to enhance the potential role of Mindanao as the bridge to all cultures in this country and in BIMP-EAGA, as well as the linchpin of our country's security and national interest," Leyretana said.
Mindanao stakeholders have long been rallying a strong call for a permanent mechanism that would ensure a strong voice for Mindanao in the national agenda.
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