Mindanao leaders hail signing of Mindanao Development Authority Act

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Leaders of various sectors hailed the enactment into law of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Act of 2010 seen to further bring more progress in the South.

President Arroyo recently signed MinDA Act or Republic Act 9996 ending a five-decade wait for the creation of an island-wide body that would integrate peace and development efforts in Mindanao.

The advocacy pushing the creation of MinDA dates back to 1961.

RA 9996 is a consolidation of House Bill 6958 and Senate Bill 3946, passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate last Jan. 26.

“The signing of the MinDA bill into law is a historic milestone for Mindanao because this heralds the end of a decades-long wait and long-felt need for Mindanao to have a permanent development agency,” said Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo).

“This is a landmark piece of legislation which will be a legacy of President Arroyo as well as Congress to Mindanao,” he said.

Leyretana said 18 ad hoc bodies had been overseeing Mindanao development through the years, but were either emasculated, replaced or absorbed by other agencies, or abolished altogether with a change in national leadership.

“(The President) has shown again her great concern for Mindanao when she signed MinDA into law and now we in Mindanao must support this agency to make it successfully perform its functions,” said Deputy House Speaker Simeon Datumanong, one of the principal authors of the law’s House version.

The other principal authors of the House version were Reps. Datu Pax Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, while its co-authors included 37 congressmen from the Mindanao bloc.

Meanwhile, the Senate version of RA 9996 was principally authored by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and co-authored by Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Edgardo Angara, Manny Villar, Richard Gordon, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Ejercito-Estrada, Ramon Revilla, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Pia Cayetano, and Juan Ponce Enrile.

“We (in Mindanao) are so thankful to (the President) for signing the MinDA bill into law. This law will establish a Mindanao-wide agency for the comprehensive integrated and faster development of Mindanao,” Rodriguez said.

“This MinDA Act will not only bring in more funds and projects to Mindanao but will likewise serve as the engine of development of Mindanao as part of the BIMP-EAGA,” he said, referring to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area.

In a dinner with reporters here on the eve of the signing of the MinDA Act last Tuesday, the President expressed her excitement in enacting the bill into law as it would mean bringing about peace and development in Mindanao.

The President said she even authored the bill when it was re-filed when she was still a senator.

The MinDA Act is expected to strengthen the existing MEDCo as it shall “promote, coordinate and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all sectors to effect the socio-economic development of Mindanao.”

The MinDA will hold office in Maramag, Bukidnon and may establish area management offices.