PH progress depends on growth, dev’t in Mindanao – WB official
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – "In the long run, progress in the entire country depends on growth and development in Mindanao, in which Northern Mindanao is going to play an important role.”
This was bared by a top official of the World Bank at the business forum, dubbed " Mindanao Today, Mindanao Tomorrow: Enabling Business for Job Creation, which was held yesterday at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel here.
Dr. Agata Pawlowska, World Bank operations manager for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, East Asia and Pacific, described the forum as proof of the World Bank's continuing partnership with the Mindanao Development Agency (MinDA), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) to discuss the key findings of the report titled "Philippines Mindanao Jobs Report: A Strategy of Regional Development," which was published last year and formally launched in Davao City in April 6, this year.
"If we all work together -- the government, the private sector, civil society, and development partners – Mindanao's potential today can be unlocked for a more vibrant Mindanao tomorrow where Filipinos will have a chance for a better life," Palowska told delegates to the business forum.
About the report, Pawloska said: "For decades, the World Bank has been working with the Philippine government, private sector groups, civil society, and the academe on various programs and projects in Mindanao. The Bank (WB) has been supporting the country (PH) on various initiatives including social protection, health, education, infrastructure, community-driven development and peace-building."
She pointed out that many people, who have travelled to Mindanao, have wondered when the Philippines could unlock the great potential of the country’s southern most island, because doing so will accelerated poverty reduction.
"In response, the World Bank started working with MInDA (Mindanao Development Authority) and other government agencies, stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, people's organizations, development partners, and experts from the academe to develop a strategy for the whole region of Mindanao, that would show how to accelerate development in the region, while paying special attention to the poorest and most vulnerable areas," Pawloska said.
The result of this collaboration was the Mindanao Jobs Report, she said, a study that has gone through a very extensive consultation process, which included the Northern Mindanao Region.
"Everyone we spoke to had the same message : the challenge for Mindanao is how to speed up inclusive growth or growth that creates more and better jobs, reduces poverty, and helps strengthen the prospects for peace," she added.