Formation of the "Super" Regions and Mandate of the SuperRegional Development Champions

MALACAÑANG
Manila

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 561 August 19, 2006

FORMATION OF THE "SUPER" REGIONS AND MANDATE OF THE SUPERREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAMPIONS

WHEREAS, for the first time in almost a decade the Philippine national budget in under control, the Philippine Government is lowering its deficit and raising unprecedented amounts of revenue;

WHEREAS, the Medium Tern Philippine Development Plan commits to presenting a balanced budget by 2010;

WHEREAS, the Philippine government’s economic managers commit to presenting the balanced budget by 2008;

WHEREAS, the infrastructure initiatives in the Medium Term Public Investment Program (MTPIP) will cost over One Trillion Pesos (P1,000,000,000.00);

WHEREAS, the investment program under the MTPIP will be funded by Government revenues generated by tax reforms, government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions, as well as partnerships and other support from private sector and Philippines’ bilateral and multilateral partners;

WHEREAS, the MTPIP forms part of the Government’s second phase of economic reforms under which it is investing in better infrastructure and services to create jobs and improve...

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Formation of the "Super" Regions and Mandate of the Superregional Development Champions

- Divides the Philippines into five "super" regions with specific development themes (Section 1 and 2):
    - Northern Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle (Regions I, II, CAR, and parts of Aurora, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Zambales) - Agribusiness
    - Luzon Urban Beltway (NCR, Region IV-A, Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Mindoro, Marinduque, and parts of Tarlac, Zambales, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija) - Globally competitive industrial and service center
    - Central Philippines (Regions V, VI, VII, VIII, Romblon, Palawan, Camiguin, and Siargao Island) - Tourism
    - Agribusiness Mindanao (Regions IX, X except Camiguin, XI, XII, Caraga except Siargao, and ARMM) - Agribusiness
    - Cyber Corridor (traversing the other "super" regions from Baguio to Cebu to Davao) - Information and communication technology and knowledge economy

- Designates a Development Champion for each "super" region with the following mandate (Section 3):
    - Serve as catalyst for development and prime advocate of the strategic development theme
    - Ensure implementation of priority programs and projects identified in the 2006 State of the Nation Address and the Medium Term Public Investment Program (MTPIP), costing over One Trillion Pesos (P1,000,000,000.00), in collaboration with LGUs, national agencies, and other partners (Section 3b)
    - Work out operational policies and remedial actions to ensure timely and cost-effective project completion (Section 3c)
    - Submit monthly reports to the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) on project implementation, issues, and recommended solutions (Section 3d)

- Authorizes the Development Champions to call on various government agencies for assistance, including NEDA, DBM, PMS, Infrastructure Monitoring Task Force, GOCCs, and GFIs (Section 4)

- Requires Regional Development Councils to assist the Development Champions (Section 4)

- Mandates the Office of the Press Secretary, Philippine Information Agency, and Government mass media to provide assistance in communicating development endeavors (Section 4)

- Appoints the following Development Champions (Section 5):
    - Northern Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle - PMS Director-General Arthur Yap
    - Luzon Urban Beltway - Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Chairman Edgardo Pamintuan
    - Central Philippines - Secretary of Tourism Joseph Ace Durano; Secretary Cerge Remonde as Cabinet Officer for Regional Development of Region VII
    - Agribusiness Mindanao - Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Jesus Dureza
    - Cyber Corridor - Commission on Information and Communication Technology Chairman Ramon Sales

- Provides that the operational requirements of the Development Champions shall be supported by the budget of the agencies they head (Section 6)

- Takes effect immediately (Section 7)