Central Luzon RDC endorses SUCs’ 2015 budget

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines -— The Regional Development Council (RDC) has passed a resolution endorsing the proposed 2015 budget of the 12 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Central Luzon.

 Approved funds include Aurora State College of Technology, P106.7 million; Bulacan Agricultural State College, P142.2 million; Bataan Peninsula State University, P473.6 million; Bulacan State University, P548 million; Central Luzon State University, P657.6 million; Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, P451.1 million; Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, P348.8 million;

Pampanga State Agricultural University (formerly Pampanga Agricultural College), P386.4 million; Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, P221 million; Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, P256 million; Tarlac College of Agriculture, P279.1 million, and Tarlac State University, P410.3 million.

RDC presiding officer and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Severino Santos said the review and endorsement to the national government of the annual budget of the SUCs as well as agency regional offices and special development authorities is pursuant to Section 4.d of Executive Order 325 of former president Fidel Ramos.

“A review is done to ensure transparency as well as consistency of the utilization of funds to the development goals of Central Luzon in general as stated in the Regional Development Plan and the seven provinces within the region namely Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales in particular,” Santos said.

 Among the development goals of the region and the provinces are building globally competitive, progressive and resilient citizenry; minimizing natural disaster casualties and economic losses; promoting sustainable land use activities; ensuring food security; reducing extreme poverty; and maintaining conflict-free and safe communities.

RDC 3 is the highest policy-making body in Central Luzon and serves as the  counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level.

It is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region and serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.

Council members include all governors, city mayors, municipal mayors of capital towns, presidents of municipal mayors’ league, regional directors of national government agencies and representatives from the private sector.