Gemima Olam, assistant regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Caraga, provided a good picture of the region’s economic standing that would serve as a benchmark for the implementation of the plan at the local level.
“Caraga’s economic landscape is on the right path towards full recovery and has regained its growth momentum. In 2022, the region’s economy expanded by 5.9 percent, recording a gross regional domestic product (GRPD) of P323.9 billion,” Olam shared.
She further presented the recent report on the compilation of provincial product accounts (PPA), data that determines the economic state of provinces and highly urbanized cities, stating, ”Looking at the contribution of the provinces and Butuan City to the regional economy, Butuan City, as the regional center, only tailed as the 4th biggest contributor, emphasizing the need to level up the local economy by improving the productivity of the city’s industry players.”
“Agusan del Norte accounts for the second lowest share of the region’s economy. Now that these local economic accounts are available, it is imperative to properly analyze these numbers in order to develop more effort and responsive economic policies and actions,” Olam added.
Cabadbaran City Mayor Judy Chin Amante, who also chairs the Caraga RDC - Social Development Committee, expressed support for the implementation of the Caraga Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.
"Let us unite all our efforts for the implementation of the plan and make each one an instrument for its successful implementation," she said.
Ricardo Onate Jr., regional executive director of Department of Agriculture (DA) in Caraga said, “The numbers shown that agriculture remained a vulnerable sector in the region, which called for improved productivity and resilience against natural hazards such as weather disturbances, animal diseases like African swine fever and bird flu, and climate change, among others.”
“We, in the DA, are more than willing to sit down in every municipality in the region and collaborate with them. We will allow them to present their respective flagship programs, and we will bring down to them the different banner programs of DA and our attached agencies and align them as one with i2FAME,” Dir. Onate said.
“We are calling for a whole-of-the-nation approach to other line agencies and stakeholders and expanding our partnership with them so we can reduce the operation cost while we increase the yield of production, as this is the primary area of challenge in the agriculture sector,” Onate added.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Head in Caraga, Venus Garcia, who chairs the Communication and Advocacy Committee of the Caraga Regional Development Council (RDC), encouraged the participants of the activity, saying, "Let us own the RDP and do our share to see it come to fruition. We have also heard our key regional line agency directors’ call to action, and it is very reassuring to hear our local chief executives’ responses, expressing their support for the execution of the RDP."
"And with our key stakeholders from the regional line agencies, private sector, academe, and industries also pledging their commitment to implement the RDP, I am hopeful that we remain dedicated to this purpose until the end of the plan period in 2028," Garcia said.
To continue this significant advocacy, Caraga RDC has set the schedules of the remaining provincial caravans to Agusan del Sur on April 17, Surigao del Norte and Province of Dinagat Islands on July 17, and Surigao del Sur on October 16, with high trust that local development will guarantee that the Caraga Regional Development Plan (RDP) 2023-2028 will effectively contribute to the attainment of the country’s long-term vision of a “Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay Para sa Lahat.” (RLE/PIA-Caraga)
