ZAMBOANGA CITY โ Aimed at strengthening linkages and building resilience and sustainable development in the BARMM, the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened a total of 116 Bangsamoro planners at the regional, provincial, and municipal levels during the conduct of the 3rd BARMM Plannersโ Congress held on Tuesday, November 21, at Marcian Garden Hotel in this city.
In attendance were Bangsamoro planners from the autonomous regional government and the local government units of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and the BARMMโs Special Geographic Area.
Bannering the theme, โOne Bangsamoro: Building Safe, Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Development in BARMM,โ BPDA Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, MNSA explained this yearโs theme embodies the essence of the regionโs hopes and commitments, underscoring the shared responsibility of the regional and local planners in the region in shaping the future of the Bangsamoro, where safety, resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability serve as guiding principles.
โOur commitment, as planners, to steer the region towards a future characterized by sustainable and inclusive development reverberates through each plan we craft, every action we undertake, and every partnership we establish,โ DG Ali said while emphasizing that the annual congress signifies the shared vision of the regional and local planners for a Bangsamoro that flourishes and prospers, where every community reaps the benefits of progress and development.
The director general further expressed his confidence that โthe congress will serve as a catalyst for profound dialogues, an incubator for groundbreaking ideas, and a bridge to forge strategic partnerships.โ
In his message, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim said the autonomous regional government values the exceptional role and efforts of the regional and local planners in charting the future of the BARMM, thereby underscoring the importance of organizing the Provincial League of Planners.
โIโm looking forward to strengthening linkages and partnership with our local planners after organizing the Provincial League of Planners and the annual observance of the Plannersโ Congress,โ the chief minister emphasized.
Engr. Venancio A. Ferrer III, National Secretary General of the League of Local Planning and Development Coordinators of the Philippines, Inc. (LLPDCPI) and the Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator of Zamboanga Sibugay, shared his insights and guidance in organizing the regional and provincial league of planning and development coordinators in BARMM by providing a brief orientation of the LLPDCPI during the activity.
Meanwhile, the BPDA officially launched earlier the Bangsamoro Knowledge Portal, an open-source platform for all socioeconomic and spatial data, information, and knowledge products related to the BARMM being managed by the BPDA. The director general invites the public to visit the Bangsamoro Knowledge Portal, which is now officially open and can be accessed via the URL, bpda.bangsamoro.gov.ph/knowledgeportal.
During the congress, Ever J. Abasolo, NEDA Director IV Remedios S. Endencia, Dr. Arturo G. Corpuz, and Ma. Adelaida Antonette Cea of UN-Habitat accordingly discussed the framework and methodology in estimating poverty, new planning guidelines and policies on socioeconomic and spatial development planning, National Spatial Strategies (NSS) and Mindanao Spatial Strategies Development Framework (MSS/DF), urban planning and climate action planning, and the highlights of the key findings and assessment on the BSDF 2024-2050.
Abuamri A. Taddik, Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism (MTIT), stated that he is inspired by the activityโs focus on providing updates on national guidelines and policies on socioeconomic and spatial development planning, saying โthis is an essential step in ensuring that the Bangsamoro region is fully aligned with the national development agenda and can effectively harness resources and expertise to advance its own development priorities.โ
In line with the spatial development planning, Edwin Carrie, Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP, highlighted the signing of agreement between the BPDA and UNDP through the SHIELD program for the Bangsamoro Spatial Development Framework.
โThe BSDF is an important policy document that charts resilient future for BARMM to the rational use and allocation of its natural, human, and physical resources, taking into consideration the regionโs risk and vulnerability,โ Carrie explained.
Moreover, the BARMM Plannersโ Congress is an annual gathering of Bangsamoro planners at the regional and local levels to discuss a given theme, aimed at strengthening regional-local planning linkages. (๐๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ค-๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ / ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ผ-๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐)