Annual Philippine pledging session to discuss Bangsamoro development plan

From InterAksyon (Nov 5): Annual Philippine pledging session to discuss Bangsamoro development plan

The government will seek the foreign donor community’s help in priming the economy of the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous area when they meet this week in Davao City for the annual pledging session.

In a statement, the Philippines’ Investor Relations Office said the draft Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) will be discussed during the Philippines Development Forum, a yearly dialogue between the government and the country’s foreign donors.

An offshoot of the Bangsamoro peace deal, the plan provides a short- and medium-term vision, strategy and recommendations for the socioeconomic development of the Bangsamoro areas during the transition years of 2015 to mid-2016, as well as after the Bangsamoro government is put in place, or from mid-2016 through 2022.

The BDP outlines projects and programs under seven thematic areas, namely, livelihood, infrastructure, education, social services, environment, culture and identity, as well as security  and normalization.

However, only some of the projects and programs will be funded by the national government, thus its resort to foreign donors for additional official development assistance (ODA). ODA refers to financial grants or loans that carry concessional terms, such as longer maturities and below-market interest rates.

“As we strive to achieve the goal of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), which is inclusive growth, we realize that a significant proportion of our people, the Bangsamoros, were being left behind. 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,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

Owing to decades of conflict, the Bangsamoro areas have lagged behind most regions of the Philippines in terms of social and economic progress.

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) last year stood at 3.6 percent, or half the national average of 7.2 percent. Poverty incidence stood at 55.8 percent in ARMM compared with the national average of 25.2 percent.

“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,” said Mohammad Yacob, executive director of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).

This year's pledging session will be held starting today at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City. President Benigno Aquino III will keynote the event, which will gather top government officials, representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as of the business community and academe.

http://www.interaksyon.com/business/98608/annual-philippine-pledging-session-to-discuss-bangsamoro-development-plan