PDF pitches projects for Bangsamoro to international lenders
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By Mikhail Franz E. Flores, BusinessWorld Online
PROJECTS and programs for the proposed Bangsamoro political entity will be tackled in this year’s pledging session between the Philippines and multilateral lenders, the government’s Investor Relations Office (IRO) said on Wednesday.
The IRO said in a statement that this year’s Philippines Development Forum (PDF) will focus on helping the Bangsamoro region catch up with the rest of the Philippine economy.
The pledging session will center on the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP), the blueprint for developing areas within the political entity.
“As we strive to achieve the goal of the Philippine Development Plan, which is inclusive growth, we realize that a significant proportion of our people, the Bangsamoros, were being left behind,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan was quoted as saying in the statement.
“These gaps resulted from decades of conflict. With the proper development strategy and with sustained peace, we can significantly improve the quality of life of the Bangsamoro people,” he added.
Bangsamoro Development Authority Executive Director Mohammad Yacob, for his part, was quoted as saying: “With enough support to the BDP-both financial and non-financial-we can help Bangsamoro areas develop a competitive business climate that generates investments and jobs.”
The national government will help fund the programs and projects as multilateral lenders will provide additional support through official development assistance.
The BDP draft focuses on seven key areas: livelihood, infrastructure, education, social services, environment, culture & identity, security & normalization.
“As a result of over four decades of armed conflict, Bangsamoro areas have lagged behind most regions of the country in terms of social and economic progress,” the IRO said.
Gross domestic product growth for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2013 settled at 3.6% compared to the national average of 7.2%.
Poverty incidence in 2012 stood at 55.8% in ARMM compared to the 25.2% national average.
The European Union (EU), for its part, said in a statement it would fund key programs centered on developing a Bangsamoro regional justice system and access to sustainable energy.
“The new programmes to start in 2015 will already contain important components benefitting Mindanao and Bangsamoro,” the EU said.
The EU said it will provide‚ €3.5 million to support the “future Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission and to local Civil Society Organisations in the exercise of their human rights monitoring and promotion/education functions (including as gender ombudsman for the former)”.
“Furthermore, flexible technical assistance will be provided to the future Bangsamoro Government to assist in the development of the regional justice system.”
An access to sustainable energy program will likewise include, €1.5 million to train electric cooperatives in Bangsamoro and allow them to connect more individuals to the grid.
“Furthermore grants will be given for rural electrification and innovative renewable technologies such as solar home systems, mini-grids, electrification and solar lanterns, solar pumps,” the EU said.
“Specific interventions will be designed benefitting Mindanao and Bangsamoro in particular to support job creation accompanying the creation of the new political entity,” it added.
The pledging session will center on the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP), the blueprint for developing areas within the political entity.
“As we strive to achieve the goal of the Philippine Development Plan, which is inclusive growth, we realize that a significant proportion of our people, the Bangsamoros, were being left behind,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan was quoted as saying in the statement.
“These gaps resulted from decades of conflict. With the proper development strategy and with sustained peace, we can significantly improve the quality of life of the Bangsamoro people,” he added.
Bangsamoro Development Authority Executive Director Mohammad Yacob, for his part, was quoted as saying: “With enough support to the BDP-both financial and non-financial-we can help Bangsamoro areas develop a competitive business climate that generates investments and jobs.”
The national government will help fund the programs and projects as multilateral lenders will provide additional support through official development assistance.
The BDP draft focuses on seven key areas: livelihood, infrastructure, education, social services, environment, culture & identity, security & normalization.
“As a result of over four decades of armed conflict, Bangsamoro areas have lagged behind most regions of the country in terms of social and economic progress,” the IRO said.
Gross domestic product growth for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2013 settled at 3.6% compared to the national average of 7.2%.
Poverty incidence in 2012 stood at 55.8% in ARMM compared to the 25.2% national average.
The European Union (EU), for its part, said in a statement it would fund key programs centered on developing a Bangsamoro regional justice system and access to sustainable energy.
“The new programmes to start in 2015 will already contain important components benefitting Mindanao and Bangsamoro,” the EU said.
The EU said it will provide‚ €3.5 million to support the “future Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission and to local Civil Society Organisations in the exercise of their human rights monitoring and promotion/education functions (including as gender ombudsman for the former)”.
“Furthermore, flexible technical assistance will be provided to the future Bangsamoro Government to assist in the development of the regional justice system.”
An access to sustainable energy program will likewise include, €1.5 million to train electric cooperatives in Bangsamoro and allow them to connect more individuals to the grid.
“Furthermore grants will be given for rural electrification and innovative renewable technologies such as solar home systems, mini-grids, electrification and solar lanterns, solar pumps,” the EU said.
“Specific interventions will be designed benefitting Mindanao and Bangsamoro in particular to support job creation accompanying the creation of the new political entity,” it added.