President Rodrigo R. Duterte appointed Isabela Governor Rodolfo T. Albano III as the new Chair of the highest policy-making body in Cagayan Valley Region, the Regional Development Council 2. He took his oath of office in Malacañang on February 4.

Likewise, RDC2-Private Sector Representative Blessida G. Diwa was also appointed as Co-Chair and took her oath of office on February 6, also at the Malacañang.

Governor Albano and PSR Diwa were unanimously nominated by the RDC2 members during the Full Council meeting last September 2019. Section G, item 3 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Executive Order 325 provides that the nominees for these posts must come either from the government sector (Local Chief Executives) and the Private Sector Representative of the Council.

The Chair shall be responsible in presiding over the meetings of the Council, the Executive and the Advisory Committees; call the attention of the implementing agencies and LGUs to implementation problems as identified and deliberated upon by the Council; supervise the monitoring of the implementation of major inter-provincial and region-wide development programs, projects and activities; direct the formulation of comprehensive regional plans and investment programming activities; and lead and supervise all activities of the Council, among others.#