For its 105th regular business meeting, the Regional Development Council 02 (RDC2) convened at the Cagayan Holiday and Leisure Resort, better known as Sun City, in the municipality of Sta. Ana at the northernmost tip of Cagayan Province.

This is the first time for Sun City, through the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), to host the RDC2 meeting, which was a joint meeting with the Council’s Advisory Committee (Adcom). Some of the Region 02 Congress Representatives also attended the meeting as members of the RDC2-Adcom.

“We are happy to join you today,” expressed Nueva Vizcaya Congress Representative Hon. Carlos M. Padilla as he addressed the more than a hundred members and guests who attended the RDC2 meeting.

“By being with you, it gives us legislators the opportunity to know you better so that we can all work more effectively together for the interest of our region,” he added. Cong. Padilla is currently a Deputy Speaker at the House of Representatives.

Also present during the meeting were Cong. Randolph S. Ting of the 3rd District of Cagayan and Cong. Ana Cristina S. Go of the 2nd District of Cagayan.

CEZA Administrator Secretary Jose Mari B. Ponce welcomed the participants to the meeting and to Sun City, which is slowly becoming the destination of choice of tourists from neighboring Asian nations and other countries as well because of its many gaming facilities and the pristine beaches around it.

“In the next three to five years, CEZA is aiming to become the logistics center for grains, the next technohub of Northern Philippines, and the gateway to Northern Luzon’s tourism frontier with the full operation of the Cagayan North International Airport in Lallo,” Secretary Ponce said.

Four resolutions passed

During the meeting, the RDC2 and its Advisory Committee passed joint resolutions to which the legislators gave their insights and comments. These resolutions support programs on health, gender and development (GAD), education, and livelihood.

Through a resolution, the RDC2 showed support to the implementation of the “Family Health Improved” Project of the DOH – Bureau of Internal Health Cooperation (BIHC). The project is a component of the Development Objective Agreement (DOAg) between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine government.

Signed in 2012, the DOAg aims to support the government in achieving Universal Health Care through activities that improve family health in the areas of maternal and child health, family planning, and tuberculosis.

The project will be implemented in select provinces and cities across the nation, including the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan in Region 02.

Meanwhile, the RDC2 assigned one of its sectoral committees to serve as the counterpart of the Philippine Commission on Women in localizing GAD in Region 02.

The RDC2-Social Development Committee was identified as the region’s GAD mainstreaming mechanism given its concern on social development. Also, most of its member-agencies have mandates along women’s rights fulfillment and elimination of gender discrimination in government systems and procedures.

More professors in the SUCs

In its goal of improving the quality of education in the Region’s state universities and colleges (SUCs), the RDC2 endorsed the creation of additional teaching plantilla positions in the SUCs. Based on a study conducted by the SUCs between June and August 2014, a total of 1,570 additional teaching plantilla positions are needed to conform with the recommended reforms in the higher education system.

Filling up this need will also satisfy the standard teacher-student ratio of 1:25. Currently, the ratio in the Region stands at 1:42 as a result of the increase in enrolment in most SUCs.

Finally, the RDC2 passed the resolution supporting the establishment of the Philippine Citrus Resources Development Center (PCRDC) in Nueva Vizcaya, with the province now regarded as the “Citrus Capital” of the Philippines. Once established, the Center will be mandated to conduct research and training programs, and to generate cost-effective and efficient technologies for citrus production.

According to Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Ruth R. Padilla, the Chair of the Economic Development Committee which endorsed the proposal, “the establishment of the PCRDC supports the strategic interventions spelled out in the updated Cagayan Valley Regional Development Plan 2011-2016 to put additional value to its produce and to increase the benefits [we get] from agriculture.”

In closing, Acting RDC2 Chairperson and NEDA Regional Director MaryAnne ER. Darauay thanked the members of the RDC2 Full Council and the Advisory Committee for coming over to Sun City for the meeting. She also expressed her gratitude to the management and staff of CEZA for helping ensure the success of the gathering.##