The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office VIII extended technical assistance to the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte in formulating its Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP) 2023-2029.  This was in a workshop held on 11-12 January 2023 at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Legislative Building, Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

The PDIP is a multi-year plan document that contains the priority list of programs and projects (PAPs) aligned with the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan. The PAPs are matched with funding sources based on the financing capacity of the province.

The NEDA VIII team, headed by OIC-Assistant Regional Director (ARD) Atty. Jam M. Colas, and the Southern Leyte Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) facilitated the conduct of the workshop.

Chief Economic Development Specialist (CEDS) Amelito B. Domingo of the NEDA VIII-Project Development, Investment Programming, and Budgeting Division oriented the participants on the PDIP formulation process based on the Provincial/Local Planning and Expenditure Management (PLPEM) Guidelines. The PDIP preparation based on the said guidelines requires a series of workshops.

The two-day workshop aims to formulate investment policies and prioritization criteria as guide in the screening and ranking of PAPs for inclusion in the PDIP.  More workshops will be conducted in February to complete the PDIP.

In his closing remarks, Provincial Administrator Jason C. Calva thanked the NEDA VIII, the Southern Leyte PPDO, and the participants for their support to the PDIP formulation. He encouraged the group to identify interventions in the next six years that will lead to the holistic development of the province. He also emphasized the need to focus more on rehabilitation and reconstruction PAPs, especially for 2023, given the impact of Typhoon Odette to the province in the latter part of 2021.

The activity was attended by the Southern Leyte PDIP Committee and Finance Sub-Committee Task Force composed of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and personnel from various offices of the provincial government, as well as representatives from the national government agencies, municipal and city government units, academe, and non-government organizations.

Article and Photos by: Atty. Richo P. Lodevico, PDIPBD