MANILA: The proposed bills seeking to reorganize the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) into an independent department received the assurance of support from senators in a public hearing conducted by the Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday.
Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who chairs the panel, was among of the lawmakers who gave his assurance to NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
“Rest assured na ako marami nang na-sponsor na (I was able to sponsor plenty of) measures, and you know, when I focus on these measures, and I’m output driven, I’ll make sure that we really pass these measures, particularly on your bill, we can discuss this in a little bit but rest assured that you will have our utmost support in the passage of this measure,” Zubiri said.
Meanwhile, despite her reservations about creating more departments, Senator Imee Marcos acknowledged the constitutional mandate for an independent economic and planning agency.
“It is also clear that Article 12 of Section 9 of the Constitutio
n indicates that Congress will establish an independent economic and planning agency headed by the President. That being the case, and the head of the NEDA already holding cabinet status, I have pushed for this bill although it was temporarily held up during the Covid pandemic,” said Senator Marcos, who was the author of one of the proposed measures seeking to reorganize NEDA.
She emphasized the importance of NEDA’s role in economic planning and expressed hope that it could regain its previous prominence and influence.
In his presentation to the panel, Balisacan said the proposed reorganization would strengthen and streamline the powers and functions of NEDA.
“We hope that Congress will recognize that the reorganization of NEDA into DEPDEV [Department of Economy, Planning and Development] will help our institution fulfill its mandate to serve the country and bring us closer toward the Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay that we all aspire for,” Balisacan said.
Senate Bill Nos. 1060, 2488, and 2483 aim
to reorganize the NEDA Secretariat into the DEPDEV to enhance its mandate and capacity in overseeing public policy, ensuring consistency, and recommending alternatives that align with the development agenda.
Under the measures, DEPDEV shall be responsible for aligning national, subnational, sectoral, and spatial policies, plans, programs, and projects, and shall also institutionalize and strengthen the mandate of its Regional Development Councils.
DEPDEV shall issue a “Planning Call” to direct the government’s planning cycle and conduct training on development planning and policymaking.
The proposed department shall collaborate with the Department of Budget and Management to ensure budget appropriations align with long-term development frameworks and conduct evaluations to inform future development plans and programs.
DEPDEV shall formulate a long-term vision and framework for sustainable development and undertake scenario planning and future thinking exercises to anticipate trends and recommend responsiv
e measures.
Source: Philippines News Agency
