‘Balik Probinsya’ pushes rural dev’t By Prexx Marnie Kate Trozo
DAVAO CITY – Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Saturday the “Balik Probinsya “ program is a proof that previous government planners and economic managers were wrong in concentrating development in urban centers while neglecting the needs of the poor in the countryside. In a Facebook post, he said that it access. He pointed out that more economic is not just a recycled program “throwing opportunities must be created in rural areas poor families back to the countryside” as with appropriate government incentives. described by a former UP Chancellor. “This is the very reason why right after Piñol added that the program Sen. (Christopher Lawrence) Go announced which now employs the “whole-of-nation- the “Balik Probinsya” Program, I and MinDA, approach” with 22 government departments the agency which I head, immediately and agencies involved is not just a reaction jumped in and started working,” he added. to the problems seen in the containment of a pandemic like the coronavirus disease He also said that in order to implement 2019 (Covid-19) in over-populated areas the program, government economic but an admission by the government of planners and budget managers will have to flawed policies in the equitable sharing of increase Mindanao’s share of the national government resources. budget pie from the current 12 percent (16 percent according to the national “This has resulted in a massive government) to a more equitable share. migration to the big cities, or even overseas, and stunted the development of the “I and MinDA have long fought for this countryside causing very low productivity from the time I was Governor of Cotabato and widespread poverty. This program is the and President of Mindanao Governors and start of the shift of development efforts to Mayors League up until I became Secretary the countryside where it is most needed and of Agriculture and now MinDA Chairman,” where the poverty level is high,” he said. Piñol said. To ensure the success of “Balik Probinsya,” Piñol said the government has to focus more resources like funds for farm to market roads, irrigation, storage, and processing facilities and ensure market
Soon, there may be no need for the women from Mindanao to work in the Middle East and there will be no need for us to depend on foreign sources for our food supply, he said. (PNA) May 16-22, 2020 |
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