ODIONGAN, Romblon (PIA) — The MIMAROPA Regional Development Council (RDC) remains focused on tackling the increasing poverty rate in the region, with a clear commitment to reversing the trend.
In 2023, the region recorded a 16.3 percent poverty incidence among families, an increase from 15.0 percent in 2021, while the poverty incidence among the population rose from 20.8 percent to 23.0 percent.
Romblon Governor Jose Riano, who is also the RDC chairperson, emphasized the importance of government programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which supported 247,530 beneficiaries in 2023, and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), providing P904 million in aid to 211,220 individuals.
Additionally, he said over 217,000 senior citizens received assistance worth P1.2 billion through the Social Pension Program.
Job creation and employment initiatives key to poverty alleviation
Riano expressed optimism that job creation, a key aspect of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will help address poverty in MIMAROPA. The law aims to provide high-quality employment opportunities across various sectors.
Programs like the Government Internship Program (GIP) for fresh graduates, the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Integrated Livelihood Program for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) for disadvantaged workers continue to be implemented to address employment needs, he said.
In 2023, the region achieved a placement rate of 95.87 percent up from 95.49 percent in 2022, demonstrating the success of employment efforts.
Key projects to drive economic growth
In his State of the Region Address during the 87th RDC Full Council Meeting on Friday, September 6, Riano also reported that MIMAROPA’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) grew by 4.7 percent in 2023, reaching P411.4 billion.
He said that the region’s economic recovery was largely driven by the Services and Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sectors, with agriculture alone recording a 6.3 percent growth in 2023, a significant improvement from the -2.4 percent decline in 2022.
While the GRDP growth rate slowed from 6.7 percent in 2022, Riano remains positive about the region’s long-term growth trajectory, expecting continued economic improvement in the coming years.
To achieve these goals, he announced that 950 programs and projects, amounting to approximately Php130 billion, have been endorsed by the RDC to the Department of Budget and Management and other government agencies.
The infrastructure sector holds the largest share of this budget at P64 billion, followed by the social sector at P36 billion, the economic sector at P27 billion, and the development administration sector at P1.8 billion.
Significant proposed projects include the Small Reservoir Irrigation Projects in Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, and Marinduque, as well as flood control initiatives, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-up, the New Busuanga Airport, and improvements to the Pinamalayan and Romblon Airports.
Moreover, the RDC has prioritized the Romblon-Panay Interconnection Project, the Palawan-Mindoro Interconnection Project, and the Quezon-Marinduque Interconnection Project, aimed at ensuring a stable and reliable power supply across the region.
Other infrastructure plans include the extension of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway into MIMAROPA, the Puerto Princesa City Viaduct, and various inter-island connectivity projects.
“These are just some of the priority, ongoing, and proposed programs and projects in the region that we aim to implement for the benefit of every MIMAROPAn,” said Riano. (PJF/LTC/PIA MIMAROPA-Romblon)
