P50-B projects planned in Mindanao Super Region

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The national government is ready to implement more than P50 billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural projects in Mindanao under President Arroyo’s Super Region program, Secretary Jesus Dureza said.

The projects are to be carried out and completed by 2010 with about P12 billion to P15 billion to be spent per year within a four-year period.

Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, disclosed this during the Mindanao Super Forum with local government executives and development council heads of the different provinces in the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Dureza, who sits as "champion" of the Mindanao Super Region, said the funding for the infrastructure and agricultural projects will be sourced from foreign lending institutions with counterpart funds from the national government.

Aside from overseas development assistance (ODA), the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and the Saudi Arabian government are being eyed as funding sources.

Dureza assured Mindanao executives that funds from the national government are available to push existing projects.

"Our fiscal position improved because of the hard decisions done by the President like the VAT. Despite the criticisms, she stood her ground and now we are seeing the benefits of the VAT and expended VAT and her very strong fiscal restraints," he said.

"Now we are confident na may pera in the national government to be able to implement your priority programs and projects," he added.

In previous years, Dureza said big-ticket, ODA-funded projects could not be implemented due to the required 20 percent counterpart fund, which the government found difficult to raise.

"So today the President is confident more than ever because of the strong fiscal showing of the national government. Now we can commit to move and implement your projects," he said.

Among the projects being eyed for the Mindanao Super Region are road networks, airports and seaports, and agriculture-related infrastructure to make the island a food basket.

Dureza said projects being pushed under the Super Region program are those which the local governments have already processed, some of them already nearing completion.

"Mindanao is more than ready for the implementation of the projects compared to other super regions in the Visayas and Luzon," he said.

Dureza said mechanisms for these projects are already in place in Mindanao, thanks to the Mindanao Economic Development Council which he heads.

Dureza gave assurance that the Super Region program will not discriminate areas identified with the opposition, as some local executives fear.