The Region and the National Development Agenda

The entire machinery of the national government is now in the thick of planning activities designed to ensure that the targets in the ten–point agenda of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are achieved.

In so far as Eastern Visayas is concerned among the relevant targets are those on employment and small businesses.

As of October last year, the region's employment situation deteriorated with a decrease from 92.6% in October 2002 to 92.2% or by 0.4 percentage points. Thus, the number of the unemployed increased from 124,000 to 136,000.

This happened while the region's Gross Domestic Product grew by 5.2 %.

The labor force is expanding so much that the regional economy is unable to keep up and offer job opportunities to all new entrants or new labor force members.

Agriculture accounts for more than half of the region's employment. And it seems the way to go is to create more employment in agriculture while at the same time increasing yield per hectare. This way employment must result in higher productivity and thus higher incomes.

Small scale businesses seem unable to absorb the new entrants as much as they should. But a turn-around is possible particularly in agri-business.

The government is making the infusion of capital through a tripling of credit as the decisive strategy. In addition, to having capital we must have mature technologies ready for commercial use. And we must have a sufficient market with the capability to absorb what we produce.

The agenda gives priority to growth-oriented strategies. This means projects must produce employment, and not only be good as “white elephants” or assets which do not or barely result in production, employment and income. With scarcity or shortages in resources especially funds as a main problem, the government must choose projects that can contribute substantially to the realization of the agenda.

The agenda looks simple because it has only ten points. Making it work is, however, very complex