City of Koronadal, South Cotabato–National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary for Regional Development Group Carlos Bernardo O. Abad Santos visited NEDA Regional Office (NRO) XII on April 13, 2023.

In her welcome message, NRO XII RD Teresita Socorro C. Ramos expressed her gratitude to Usec. Abad Santos for taking time and including in his schedule the meeting with the NRO XII staff after attending the launching of the 2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan 2023–2028 in Cotabato City.

Mr. Guillermo R. Manrique Jr., Chief Administrative Officer of the Finance and Administrative Division of NRO XII, gave a brief presentation on the NRO XII manpower profile as of March 31, 2023, which included the filled and unfilled positions, sex and age disaggregation, vaccination status, educational attainment, and different divisions, units/sections in the NRO.

Undersecretary Abad Santos thanked the NRO XII staff for the warmest welcome he had ever received in his visit to the NROs. He was also impressed by the qualifications of the staff at NRO XII, where many have and are pursuing master’s degrees, and two are in their doctoral degree program.

Usec. Abad Santos shared that he is aware of NRO XII’s assistance to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), particularly in development and physical planning, investment programming, and monitoring and evaluation of projects. He emphasized the urgency for all NROs to start launching their respective Regional Development Plans next month, May 2023. “The LGUs do not know NEDA… Let us make the launching of the Regional Development Plan a venue to reach the LGUs”, said Usec. Abad Santos.

NEDA Regional Development Staff Director Remedios S. Endencia and OIC-Chief Economic Development Specialist Fresita Araneta joined the NEDA RDG Undersecretary in his visit to NRO XII which is located at the Prime Regional Government Center (PRGC), Koronadal City. (Kimberly Y. Carlon, NEDA XII- FAD, FRMS)