BY GERRY LEE GORIT
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-10) presented the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan for 2023-2028 at the Misamis Oriental provincial Capitol Grounds on September 21. The presentation highlighted the projects focused for Misamis Oriental.
As chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC) infrastructure committee, Gov. Peter M. Unabia lobbied for projects intended for the province, most especially the expansion of the Laguindingan International Airport.
It was learned that Unabia wrote letters to Reps. Christian Unabia, Yevgeny Vincente Emano, Lordan Suan and Rufus Rodriguez to help him in lobbying for the expansion of Laguindingan airport and extend its runways so that it could accommodate international flights.
Provincial administrator John Venice Ladaga also said that Gov. Unabia was instrumental in fast tracking the construction of several access roads, secondary highways and farm to market roads in the second district.
For the first district, he is focused on tourism development such as The Grove, Sagpulon Falls, Flight 387 Shrine and Lasang Park.
All in all, there were 12 infrastructure projects for Misamis Oriental alone that were included in the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.
Unabia also spearheaded a massive employment program for Misamisnons, kicking off with a partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for apple pickers to be sent abroad.
On the domestic level to avoid illegal recruitment, the provincial government signed a memorandum with the Phividec Industrial Authority (Phividec) to boost employment in the economic zone from the labor force of the province.
In education, Gov. Unabia lobbied with senators to help fund the construction of 1,300 classrooms all over the province.
Utilizing the province’s special education fund, the Unabia administration hired 500 reading teachers to be deployed to DepEd-run public schools all over Misamis Oriental.
Also present during the presentation of the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan 2023-2028 were Neda 10 director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño, Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez and the mayors of the province.
