NEWS: Mindanao civil society, academe join call for status quo for MEDCo

dec 3

Following qualms of several business stakeholders in Mindanao, civil society organizations took their turn in expressing dislike to President Arroyo’s move of placing the the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) under the oversight of the National Economic Development Authority.

Arroyo issued Executive Order 757 on October 13 this year, placing MEDCo under the oversight of the NEDA from the Office of Presidential Assistant for the Peace Process (OPAPP), which is under the Office of the President (OP). Before OPAPP, MEDCo had been directly under the OP since the Aquino administration.

But a controversy has sparked over the presidential move as several stakeholders have either raised opposition or expressed wariness on the sudden placement of MEDCo under the NEDA’s wings.

UP-Mindanao professor Ricardo De Ungria, chairman of the Mindanao Studies Consortium Foundation, Inc. (MSCFI) has called for status quo for MEDCo if not its immediate institutionalization citing MEDCo’s “track record as clearing house for Mindanao projects for development” and its “effective and efficient representation in the Philippines in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area).

MSCFI, a group of 12 big universities and research centers in Mindanao, is one among those who immediately supported House Bill No. 5255 also known as Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA) Act of 2008 introduced by Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong and Sultan Kudarat Rep. Pax Mangudadatu. If legislated, MEDCo is converted into MEDA.

MSCFI’s current members are the Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), Ateneo del Davao University, Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City, Dansalan College Foundation, Inc. in Marawi City, Mindanao State University-General Santos City, MSU -Marawi City, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Notre Dame University, UP-Mindanao, University of Southeastern Philippines, and Western Mindanao State University.

“The move is out of step with the headways that MEDCo has been making in the peace and development efforts in Mindanao. It’s like two steps backwards- back to the gods in Manila,” said Atty. Mary Ann Arnado, chair of Mindanao Peace Caucus.

Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ, chair of the Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue, on the other hand, said: “I don’t see any advantage in subsuming MEDCo under NEDA. Mindanao might just continue to be exploited for the sake of Manila’s ‘condominiumization’.”

“Mindanao should cease to serve simply as source of raw materials for the so-called national development or raw data for Manila’s itinerant researches. Besides, we don’t want MEDCo to be dragged into NEDA’s ZTE-NBN scam!” he added.

Rey Magno Teves, Kusog Mindanaw convenor and director of Development Bank of the Philippines, feared that with the move, “we will be back to the days when there was lack of Mindanao-wide consolidating mechanism.”

Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industries Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) president Rodolfo Meñes said that MEDCo has the potential of becoming that one much-needed Mindanao development authority and, as such, putting it under NEDA must be “studied very carefully” before full implementation.

On the other hand, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez (2nd district, Cagayan de Oro ) said that the move is “a demotion because instead of giving direct attention to Mindanao it is being made a virtual subsidiary of NEDA. Placing MEDCo under the oversight of NEDA is nugatory of its credibility and dependability that has earned the trust and confidence of donor countries.”

He added that “NEDA is merely doing planning while MEDCO is a unique agency that hastens coordination and implementation of programs and projects in Mindanao.”

On the other hand, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) strongly opposed the move saying that it was act of demotion to MEDCo.

The Davao business sector believes that NEDA and MEDCo have their own distinct and separate mandate and the order will cause the council to lose the essence of its special and definite developmental purpose and functions for Mindanao.

“(The move) is a great loss of momentum following the initiative that was started in the development and strengthening of BIMP-EAGA,” Davao Chamber President Simeon Marfori II said.

The functions of Medco should not be clipped in its wings by placing it under an agency which has yet to prove its relevance in the development of Mindanao, the DCCCII statement said.

Exporter Ferdinand Marañon, president of Sangrex Corp, said: “No..no..no! NEDA is a very bureaucratic office. All talk, no action,. We should strengthen MEDCo and infuse private business sector blood in it”.

Antonio Santos Sr., chairman of the BIMP-EAGA Business Council said:“Over the years, has seen with concrete efforts to forge for economic relations in the area of trade, tourism and investment across Mindanao and Palawan, the Philippines’ focus areas for the sub-region, with the aid of MEDCo”.

He cited MEDCO’s headways in strengthening trade ties and several investment and joint-venture decisions of Indonesian and Malaysian companies to General Santos and Zamboanga areas and  the expansion of air and sea linkages in Mindanao both domestic and foreign through the BIMP-EAGA.

Noting that MEDCO has been actively tapped by various Presidents since Aquino time, businessman John Gaisano Jr said that “now it seems the President does not make use of it. Maybe the choice wasn’t her but a political accommodation.”

But MEDCo Chair Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana said in an interview  that and he and his 80-man staff are continuing to work “as usual and without let-up for Mindanao’s peace and developments initiatives”.

He said that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of EO 757 is still being hammered on at press time even as MEDCo has already crafted its own proposed IRR for submission to Malacanang.

The undersecretary refused to divulge the MEDCo-proposed IRR saying he did not want to preempt other concerned higher officials including NEDA Director-General Ralph Recto.

He added that the final IRR is still within the authority and prerogative of the President, whom he said he would abide with her position.

He said that as exemplified by MEDCo “there is a need for a strong, responsible and accountable institution for the delivery of the promises for Mindanao”.

“The long-running idea with the MEDCo around for 16 years is to consolidate Mindanao as an integrated island economy having one vision and agenda to give justice to economic inequity and development disparity borne by Mindanao throughout its history. We are pushing a Mindanao catch-up plan to attain wholistic, balanced national development,” he said.

Leyretana added MEDCo is “not only planning for the island but also integrates and coordinates all programs of Mindanao”, adding that since 1992 MEDCo has been “every President’s workhorse for Mindanao”.

“We have been accomplishing all these things in collaboration with local government units, the private sector, civil society, academe, line agencies, and gained integrity, dependability and confidence of donor agencies and countries, because we carried with the President’s imprimatur and there has been no intervening layer,” the undersecretary said.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Sunday in his column in a Manila daily branded the controversial EO 757 to have significantly “diluted MEDCo’s direct access to the President, and the power of PGMA’s authority over matters of crucial importance to Mindanao” even as he credited MEDCo for its multifarious efforts in developing Mindanao and batted for the immediate passage of MEDA into law. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com