Infra, ICT key to Mindanao development, says US exec

Kidapawan City – Improved access to both infrastructure and information technology is the key to sustainable development and long-lasting peace in Mindanao.

This was underscored by Scott Bellard, acting deputy chief of mission of the US Embassy in Manila, who recently visited this city and barangays in North Cotabato to inaugurate strategic infrastructure projects and turn over computer facilities, all of which are intended to boost productivity in the countryside and underscore the economic benefits of peace.

Bellard was accompanied by Dr. Michael Yates, mission director of the US Agency for International Development; Secretary Jesus Dureza, chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo); Robert Barnes, economic growth advisor of the USAID; and John Dalton, program manager of the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.

"Projects like this reaffirm our commitment to the vision of a peaceful, productive and prosperous Mindanao," Bellard said during the inauguration of the Kidapawan market bridge project.

He pointed out that the bridge was built to support increased economic activity and raise productivity levels in the area.

"This bridge will further energize the entrepreneurial spirit of Mindanaoans and make communities richer and more productive," he added.

The bridge project, like all similar USAID-financed infrastructure projects in Mindanao, is a partnership among the USAID, MEDCo and local government units.

In M’lang, North Cotabato, Bellard witnessed the turnover of the M’lang footbridge construction project, one of the 18 community infrastructure projects completed by the GEM Program in the province.

Meanwhile, in Matalam, town, Bellard took part in the turnover of computers with Internet access, various computer resource materials, multimedia equipment, and assorted books to the Matalam National High School.

The computers and Internet connection were provided under the Computer Literacy and Internet Connection (CLIC) Program, which is actively promoting computer literacy and information technology in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

The multimedia equipment and resources for the school library, on the other hand, were awarded under the Matching Grant component of the Education Awareness Support Effort (EASE) Program.

The CLIC and EASE programs are being implemented by the USAID’s GEM Program.

In his remarks, Bellard said information and communication technologies have a profound effect on the way people teach, learn, work, play and communicate. 

Bellard said this is the reason why the USAID, through its CLIC Program, is working hard to ensure that students in Mindanao "do not end up on the wrong side of the digital divide."  

"People with access to the constantly emerging and improving information and communication technologies have the advantage to compete for better jobs and improve their economic condition," he said.