The Regional Development Council (RDC) and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) of Northern Mindanao members expressed their support fpr peace and development initiatives in a joint RDC-RPOC X conference on 21 May in Cagayan de Oro City.
The meeting was presided over by RPOC X Chair, Mayor Oscar S. Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City and co-presided by RDC X Vice-Chair and NEDA Regional Office (NRO) X Regional Director Leon M. Dacanay, Jr.
Briefing on the region’s peace and order situation was presented by the 1st and 4th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office X. Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma also presented the proposed resolution wherein the body jointly concurred, expressing all out support to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) provided that it passes national scrutiny based on social justice.
In recognition of the role of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in peace-building and the need to implement programs and projects covering isolated, hard to reach, and conflict-affected communities, the body jointly passed, among others, resolutions on the following: (a) Recognizing the Newly Created Bukidnon-Misamis Oriental-Cagayan de Oro City (BMC) Tribal Leaders’ Council and Adopting the Outputs of the BMC- IP’s Summit Organized by the 4th ID, PA; (b) Supporting the Implementation of Programs and Projects in the Kalabugao Plain Peace and Development Convergence Program; (c) Requesting the DPWH X to Prepare a Feasibility Study for a Direct Access Road from Barangay Minalwang to Claveria; and (d) Requesting the Construction of a Spillway in Bontongon, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program.
The RDC X also expressed support and endorsed the following: (a) policy recommendations on Sec. 20 (Reclassification of Lands) of the Local Government Code and its implementing guidelines; (b) operationalizing the Strategic Development Areas (SDAs) in the updated Regional Development Plan; (c) Inclusive Partnerships for Agricultural Competitiveness (IPAC) Project; (d) conduct of the 13th Mindanao Communicators Network Congress and the 14th National Vegetable Congress in Cagayan de Oro City; (e) proposed measures to address issues affecting live hogs shipment from Cagayan de Oro to Cebu City and conduct of value chain analysis for the hog industry; (f) policy recommendations on the DBM & CHED Joint Circular No. 2 (s. 2004) on the application of Normative Funding in the Allocation of Expenditures to SUCs; (g) reorganization of Region X’s Bantay Asin Task Force; (h) DOH High-Impact Breakthrough (HIB) projects; (i) U4U youth Hub initiative; (j) Increase in local travel allowance for government personnel; (k) Localization of the Magna Carta of Women; (l) 2015 Census of Population; (m) creation of the Mindanao Power Corporation as a legislative initiative; (n) formulating a policy rationalizing the location of coal-fired power plants in Mindanao; and (o) Cagayan de Oro Sustainable Urban Drainage System Master Plan, among others.
In the same meeting, the new PNP X Director , PC Supt. Lyndel A. Desquitado, was confirmed as the new RPOC X Vice-Chair for Security Affairs. The body also awarded a Plaque of Recognition to Mr. Jaime Gellor , President of the Central Bukidnon Parole and Probation Volunteers Association, Inc. as Regional Qualifier to the 2014 Search for Outstanding Volunteers.
