The Regional Development Council 2 during its 116th Full Council Meeting on December 5, 2019 in Gamu, Isabela has passed a resolution supporting the proposed revival of the Cagayan Valley Project Development Assistance Center (PDAC). The reactivated PDAC shall provide technical assistance to RLAs, LGUs and SUCs in the preparation of business case models, feasibility studies or project proposals.

RDC2 Interim Chair and NEDA Regional Director Dionisio C. Ledres, Jr. underscored that the PDAC, which will be lodged at the NEDA Regional Office considering its role as Secretariat to the RDC, will be constituted by a pool of specialists/experts from the focal RLAs and support agencies. The team will take charge of the needs of client-agencies. Likewise, a Project Steering Committee (PSC) shall be convened to provide policy direction and supervision with NEDA as chair while DPWH and DTI as Co-Chairs.
The activities from the reactivation of PDAC will be guided by three result areas, namely: (1) capacity building; (2) technical assistance and advisory services; and (3) resource mobilization and investment matching.

The revival of the PDAC supports the ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure policy that encourages RLAS, LGUs and SUCs to be more proactive in developing their respective project proposals aimed at socio-economic development of the region. This was also in anticipation of the expected increase in the demand for local development projects brought about by the improved fiscal position of the country and other revenue-enhancing initiatives, including the recent ruling on the “just share” of local government on revenues from natural resources.# Jun T. Irigayen, NEDA2-DRD