Department of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar requested the NHA and DSWD to fast-track the validation and assessment of Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2) applicants for CAR to guide the implementation of the regional action plan prepared by the committee.
Sec. Dar presided over the virtual meeting of the CAR BP2 Committee joined by NEDA-CAR and regional line agencies to discuss the regional implementation of the program.
National Housing Authority (NHA) Regional Manager for Region 1 & CAR Engr. Maria Belinda V. Sevalla cited that as of April 26, 2021, there were 541 total applicants for the program in the Cordillera region with Benguet having the highest number of applicants.
Secretary Dar expounded on the development principle of environmental sensitivity to enhance sustainability and suggested to use the tag-line “Angat na Cordillera” for the BP2 campaign in the region.
He stated that on the localized strategies on agriculture and broadening the perspective of food production through value-chain systems approach to include market development, linking producer or cooperatives to markets through infrastructure (food center/market) and logistics will further strengthen the Regional Action Plan.
The CAR BP2 Committee strengthened the structure to include other agencies and state universities and colleges in the region it also added a criteria on the suitability of sites in the provision of housing. As part of the action plan, the DILG regional office provided an assessment of the absorptive capacity and needs of the receiving LGUs prior to the relocation of beneficiaries.
In line with the BP2 program and over-all Cordillera economic development, the committee sees Eco zone Development as on one of the strategies for regional development in providing more opportunities in the countryside.
Sec. Dar emphasized the importance of Eco zone development in achieving CAR’s development goals and enjoined NEDA-CAR, PEZA and DA-CAR to develop a CAR Eco zone Development Strategy considering the hubs and spokes strategy,
“We need to study potential markets and to consider the “Look East” Strategy or looking into East Asia as a potential market, and to also study the forward and backward linkages of CAR’s Eco zone development to other region’s economic zones such as Clark Agri-Industrial Zone.” He added.
(Joseph Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio OIC | Bob Lyndon B. Daroya, NEDA-SPCAR)