The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board made several approvals on Friday that included the negotiated parameters, terms, and conditions (PTCs) of the upgrade and expansion of the Laguindingan International Airport Project and the Trade Department’s Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth during its 13th board meeting, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan announced on Friday.
Balisacan told a press briefing in Malacañang that the PTCs for the 12.75-billion Laguindingan International Airport project negotiated between the government were represented by the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the Original Proponent of the unsolicited public-private partnership (PPP) project.
Approved in July 2023, the project supports the government’s efforts to enhance regional development and promote tourism in Northern Mindanao and its neighboring regions.
Following the approval of the modified PTCs, the project will now undergo the comparative challenge process following the rules under the newly enacted PPP Code.
During the meeting, the NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., also approved the request to change the timeline and scope of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth or RAPID Growth Project.
The 4.78 billion RAPID Growth Project aims to support 78,000 farming households by expanding both on-farm and off-farm activities and generating employment opportunities in rural areas.
It seeks to support the growth and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with strong backward linkages to farmers, and to provide them access to the needed capital to sustain their businesses.
The project will also create business partnerships between MSMEs and farmers to ensure a steady source of high-quality raw materials for the production needs of agro-enterprises.
The NEDA also presented to the President the Philippine Development Report 2023, or PDR 2023 following the launching last year of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, the country’s medium-term development roadmap.
“In line with Executive Order No. 14, s. 2023, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) monitored the Plan’s implementation, with inputs from various government agencies. A year after the launch, we produced the Philippine Development Report,” Balisacan said, adding the PDR contains updates on the major programs, projects, and policies implemented in 2023.
“As an evidence-based report, the PDR evaluates our country’s performance based on the outcome indicators identified in the PDP and tracks the progress of bills under the Marcos Administration’s legislative agenda.”
The PDR 2023 will be released to the public by the end of this month. PND
