COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Economic and Development Council (BEDC) led by its chairperson, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim, approved resolutions during its fourth regular meeting last November 23 via Zoom, which endorsed 3 project proposals to be reviewed by the National Economic and Development Authority – Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) and 3 resolutions for sectoral issues and concerns that require appropriate action by the Council.
This yearβs last quarter meeting was also joined by the members of the Council, who are BARMM officials from various ministries, offices and agencies (MOAs) and local chief executives from the regional, provincial, city, and municipal levels.
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The Council approved the resolution on the proposed Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP) to the NEDA-ICC for evaluation and proper action. This was proposed for World Bank loan financing with the Department of Finance (DOF) as the executing agency and the Department of Education as the implementing agency.
βTEACEP aims to support strategic interventions on teacher professional development to ultimately effect better learning outcomes with focus on select areas of Mindanao, particularly in Regions IX, XII and the BARMM,β said Milagros T. Talinio, Project Management Services Director of the Department of Education (DepEd).
With BARMM as a project-supported area, Talinio emphasized that DepEd and the World Bank have consistently consulted representatives from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) to ensure that project interventions suit the needs of stakeholders in the region.
Furthermore, the provision of medical equipment amounting to 369,347,000.00 Japanese Yen (approximately PhP163,646,535.73) through grant from the Embassy of Japan to the Ministry of Health (MOH-BARMM) under its economic and social development program was also approved by the Council.
βThis grant will be made available to the Bangsamoro Government for procurement of medical equipment for Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC), Amay Pakpak Medical Center (APMC), Lamitan District Hospital and some MOH-retained hospitals,β said Dr. Ameril Usman, Director General of MOH-BARMM.
Usman also added that the procurement shall be made by the Japan Government and the equipment shall be received by the Bangsamoro Government and distributed to the targeted hospitals.
Engr. Michael Alpasan, Engineer V of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Office, presented the resolution of the proposed Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaption (InFRA I) project by the DPWH Central Office. This proposed resolution was also approved by the Council.
Thru a technical assistance loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the DPWH is undertaking the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility Output 2 β Water Projects (IPIF-2), which involves the preparation of flood risk management master plans, feasibility studies, detailed engineering design and tender support for priority projects in six major river basins.
βFeasibility study for priority flood risk management projects in Ranao (Agus) River Basin which is included in the InFRA1 project has been completed on August 2021,β Alpasan said.
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Through the endorsement of the Economic Development Committee (EDCom) chaired by Minister Mohammad S. Yacob of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), said Council approved the resolution creating the Bangsamoro Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Committee (BCFIDC) as a sub-committee under the EDCom, which shall serve as the regional counterpart of the National Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Inter-Agency Technical Committee in the BARMM.
Furthermore, the approval of the CFIDP was a requisite to operationalize the Republic Act No. 11524, otherwise known as the Coconut Farmers and Industry Fund Act, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 26, 2021.
βThe law sets the policies and directions for a period of 50 years with funding from the coconut levies that were collected from the coconut farmers from 1972 to 1984, which will now be utilized for the benefit of the coconut farmers,β said Rohanisah Rashid, Chief of BPDAβs Economic Planning Division.
Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie, chairperson of the Social Development Committee (SDCom) and Minister of the Ministry of the Social Services and Development (MSSD), presented the resolution for the creation of the Bangsamoro Gender and Development Special Committee (BGADSC) that will help the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) in overseeing and coordinating GAD planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
βIt would be ideal that a regional inter-agency mechanism is created that will support the BWC in coordinating and setting the direction of all GAD efforts in the region, as well as ensuring that GAD interventions are related and integrated with regional development efforts,β Jajurie emphasized.
Said resolution was approved by the Council to ensure that the 5% Gender and Development (GAD) fund taken from the annual budget of each ministry, office, and local government unit, is judiciously programmed and spent.
Following the presentation of Mahmur H. Sarail, Chief Statistical Specialist of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-BARMM), the Bangsamoro Regional Statistical Development Program (BRSDP) 2021-2023 was approved by the Council.
Accordingly, BRSDP is a three-year plan that spells out the regional thrust and priorities of the Bangsamoro Government in pursuing statistical development in the region. (BPDA-BARMM)