TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) 8 chaired by Tacloban Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez hosted, on Wednesday,  May 3 at Patio Victoria the First Regular Meeting of the Regional Committee (RDCom) of the Visayas Area, which comprises Western, Eastern and Central Visayas.

Mayor Romualdez welcomed to Tacloban the attendees of the meeting that included Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino, RDC 6 and 7 Acting Chairpersons Regional Director Ro-Ann Bacal and Keneth Cobonpue, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadia and National Economic and Development Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla.

The meeting tackled a number of agenda which included the reorganization of RDCom Visayas, but the selection of the next RDCom Chairperson was temporarily differed.

Mayor Romualdez, being the only full-fledged RDC chairperson, appointed thus far by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in the Visayas,  currently sits as the interim RDCom Chaiperson for the Visayas Area, while the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) 8 headed by Director Bonifacio Uy is acting Secretariat Head.

Romualdez committed RDC 8’s active participation in strengthening and pushing for inclusive development in the entire Visayas Area. The Mayor stressed that the RDCom is a good venue for sharing best practices for development.

PA Dino said that as conduit between the President and the Region, he endeavors to refocus development in the Visayas by  lobbying for high ticket projects and hastening its implementation.

He emphasized that the Philippine Development Plan  for 2017 -2022 of the Duterte Administration is the bible of development for the country and a policy direction for the Visayas.

As part of the Rural Development thrust of the current administration, the Presidential Assistant urged local governments to rationalize projects according to necessity not for political aggrandizement.

Among the plans mentioned by Dino that will hasten commerce and foster opportunities for Visayas, is connecting the Region through bridges and rail system; he also shared a planned Chinese investment of 1 million units of socialized housing, a proposal of which  will be presented to Mayor Romualdez.

Meanwhile, NEDA Assistant Secretary Sombilla said that among the agenda that will be tackled in the upcoming NEDA Board Regional Development Committee meeting in Manila are the “Yolanda deliverables” which concerns infrastructure  and development issues in Yolanda hit areas.

Mayor Romualdez is set to represent RDCom Visayas in the meeting which is the “mother committee” of all RDCs in the country.

By virtue of  Executive Order 257, the  RDCom was created to  address disparities in regional development and promote equitable allocation of resources among regions to foster countryside development.- HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO, Photos by Tim Canes/CMO