DAVAO CITY (PIA) — Some international development partners of the Philippines have reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting Mindanao’s development and peace process through the Official Development Assistance (ODA).
Speaking during the Mindanao Development Forum 2024 on July 24 in Davao City, Frederic Grillet, First Secretary of the European Union (EU) Delegation to the Philippines, conveyed that the EU will support Mindanao through the Partnership for Peace and Development (MinPAD RISE) program and the SUBATRA program.
The Mindanao Peace and Development Program (MinPAD RISE) intends to support rural infrastructure and business development in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), while the SUBATRA Program intends to strengthen the BARMM authority during the transition period.
On the other hand, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) highlighted its continuous support to Mindanao’s health, education, and social protection sectors, acknowledging the vital role of Mindanao being “the gateway to BIMP-EAGA (the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area).
At present, some of the ongoing projects in Mindanao are the construction of a 280-km growth corridor in Northeast Mindanao and BARMM, the expansion and rehabilitation of water supply systems in selected areas in Mindanao, and support for education and job facilitation for Mindanao youth, among others.
ADB has also facilitated climate-smart urban mobility initiatives in Davao City, or the High Priority Bus System. They have also undertaken several flood control projects, such as the Agus river basin in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte and the Tagum-Lubuganon river basin in Davao del Norte.
Meanwhile, Ali Zafar from the World Bank said that they are not only continuing their support for the country but also expanding their programs to include more areas in Mindanao.
Particularly, Zafar revealed that the World Bank is a partner in the implementation of the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) in 10 provinces in Mindanao, Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement (TEACEP), Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools (the ISRS Project), GeoRiskPH Integrated Platform, and the Ready to Rebuild (R2R) Program, among others.
Also, Zafar said that the World Bank has undertaken several projects that aim to improve agricultural productivity. These include rehabilitation of main corridors, link roads, and farm-to-market roads in selected areas in Mindanao, production, logistics, and marketing support to farmers and fisherfolk, among others.
On behalf of the Australian Embassy, Matt Boyle shared that around AUD 90 million, or about P7.3 billion, of ODA will be provided to the country this year, and 60 percent of it is allotted to Mindanao.
Boyle added that the programs and projects that they are focusing on are in critical sectors such as the peace process in BARMM, economic growth, humanitarian and disaster risk reduction, education, and many others.
Lastly, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has provided around USD 33.5 million worth of assistance to the country this year.
Sang Geun Kim, KOICA Philippines Assistant Country Director, said that this assistance is used to fund projects such as infrastructure, equipment, expert dispatch, capacity building, and technology assistance.
At present, Kim said that KOICA is currently implementing several major projects in Mindanao. These include support for agriculture and agribusiness enterprises in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Cotabato City; strengthening the health care system in the Davao region; establishing climate-resilient cities in Cotabato City and Zamboanga City; and supporting the peace-building process in the BARMM region. (PIA Davao Region)
