PARAñAQUE CITY, Philippines —-Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Datu Abul Khayr Alonto urges the construction industry players of the country to be the government’s partners in the reconstruction of the city.
In a speech delivered during the recently concluded ASEAN + 6 Construction Forum, Alonto said that one of the agency’s priorities for the long-term development plan of Marawi is to provide necessary infrastructure that will promote and sustain economic activities in the formerly conflict-affected areas of Mindanao, an area that construction players can greatly take part in.
MinDA, through its Mindanao Development Corridors (MinDC) program pursues priority infrastructure projects. Through this approach, a Joint Planning and Programming (JPP) mechanism is being forged with relevant key agencies under the infrastructure sector to jointly review, endorse and facilitate inclusion in the national investment program and budget inter-connectivity projects like roads, bridges, ports and airports in Mindanao.
“It is our hope that our construction leaders in the country and the rest of the ASEAN can help us in delivering interventions that are also responsive to the context and aspirations of the Bangsamoro, especially to the short-term and long-term needs of Marawi City” he said.
Alonto added that these interventions will be implemented through the Bangsamoro Economic Corridor strategy, an addition to the MinDC program, which is likewise part of the larger BIMP-EAGA corridor.
“The larger MinDC initiative is a strategy that can link us to the China’s multi-billion dollar trade economic Silk Road Project. Coincidentally, China is also an active development partner of BIMP-EAGA for the past few years,” said Alonto.
In his message, Alonto said that no less than President Rodrigo Duterte has demonstrated strong resolve to pursue the development of Mindanao and the BIMP-EAGA through an economic corridors approach.
The ASEAN + 6 Construction Forum gathered delegates from the 10 member-states, as well as other development partners from China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. The forum aims to help implement the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, a framework for seamless and comprehensive connectivity and integration among the ASEAN countries. -MinDA/PR
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