Strategic planning for RDC members

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has asked the National Economic and Development Council (NEDA) to schedule a strategic planning for all members of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Central Visayas.

Rama, who heads the regional council, was briefed yesterday by NEDA officials led by regional director Marlyn Rodriguez and assistant director Efren Carreon on the duties and functions of the RDC for him to be familiar with the job when he presides the full council meeting on June 24.

Although there is a similarity on the duties and functions of the members of the legislative bodies and of the RDC, Rama said he will study further the functions of the RDC, which is composed of some 60 members.

After the briefing, Rama instructed Rodriguez, who sits as vice chairperson of the RDC to bring the news reporters out of the conference room so that they could discuss some internal matters.

Rama failed to answer some of queries of reporters regarding the RDC because he is still new to the position.

He wants to secure statistics to find out of how many resolutions or proposed projects that were approved by the RDC for the past years that had been implemented and how many of them were rejected for lack of funding.

But Rodriguez explained they could not say how many projects were approved by the RDC were implemented because their implementation usually takes many years.

The South Road Properties, which was approved by the RDC during the chairmanship of then Cebu Governor Eduardo Gullas, was implemented only in 1994.

The RDC is composed of the governors, city mayors and regional directors of several national government agencies in Central Visayas, aside from the heads of the various sectoral technical committees.

Rama was appointed to the post by President Benigno Aquino to occupy the position vacated by the late Negros Oriental Governor Agustin Perdices who died of cancer in January. (FREEMAN)