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DAVAO CITY: Mindanao should be treated as an island
economy rather than an island made up of several regions,
according to a paper “A Review of the Government’s Mindanao
Peace and Development Paradigms” presented by Fermin D. Adriano,
Ph.D., senior adviser of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for
Peace Process (OPAPP) during the Mindanao Working Group meeting.
Adriano pointed out whatever
happens to one region will eventually have an impact on the other
regions.
He further said a decision from
Metro Manila pouring more resources from one region will translate
to depriving other regions of the much needed resources for
development.
He said the formulation of an
integrated plan for Mindanao would have the effect of surfacing the
uneven development of the various regions in the island.
Adriano said physically
integrating the various Mindanao regions would facilitate travel
and transport of goods and services within the region and between
regions. This will create the internal markets for Mindanao’s
products and services.
“Integrating the island to the
world market will lessen Mindanao dependence on Metro Manila and
Cebu markets while at the same time promoting the development of
other products,” he said.
But linking Mindanao to the
international market requires improving particularly air and sea
transports and the facilities servicing these ports, he said.
Adriano, however, stressed that
the major source of disincentive to investing in Mindanao was the
unstable peace and order because of physical risk to potential
entrepreneur and to the firm’s physical assets.
Under Mindanao 2000, it strongly
recommended finding a just and lasting solution to the armed
conflict.
And finally, Mindanao 2000
stressed the need for engaging the various Mindanao stakeholders
and encouraging them to participate in the goal of attaining an
economically progressive Mindanao.
It coined the phrase “Team
Mindanao” to emphasize the people in the island have a collective
stake in ensuring peace and development is attained.
--PNA
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