TACLOBAN CITY – With the country facing a fiscal crisis, the Regional Development Council (RDC) would have to tap foreign grants to finance major development projects in the region.

Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias, newly appointed chairperson of RDC-8, said in an interview with Leyte Samar Daily Express that some major projects in the region to be implemented in the future would be financed by grants coming from foreign countries.

“A lot of that will depend on our ability to be able to source out the funds outside our government resources,” Lerias stressed.

It was learned that the cantonal government earlier scrapped any negotiation for possible loan assistance from foreign banks until 2006 while it is strictly observes measures to regulate foreign borrowings.

“That’s why we can probably look into possible fund granting institutions for projects with a cost-sharing from other benefactors,” Lerias told LSDE.

Major projects being planned for implementation that are in need of grants are infrastructure projects, agricultural and tourism facilities, “genuine” education, assistance for small and medium entrepreneurs and improvement of communication technologies, among others.

In previous years, the RDC has strongly endorsed to the national government to put up counterparts funds for some multi-billion peso projects but some of those were not approved until now due to budget shortage.

Lerias is optimistic that the RDC can solicit grants from foreign entities as she vowed to work with other RDC members in improving a “good climate” for those who are coming to into the region.

“We should let them know that we know where we are going and we know exactly what we want,” she told LSDE. When asked how they tap foreign countries to provide Eastern Visayas with grants.

However, she pointed out that these grants need a counterpart amount form local government units to ensure sustainability.

“Foreign funding institutions want to make sure that the money is going to be well-placed and will not be wasted.” Lerias told Express.

Some of the foreign entities that have been extending grants in Eastern Visayas include the United Nations Development Fund, Plan International, and United States Agency for International Development and German Technical Support (GTZ).

On the other hand, Lerias explained that sharing of “best practices’ of provinces and stren4gthening its weak points will be the basis of the region’s highest policy-making body in the delivery of government services.

“We will focus on areas where we can cooperate. I have to see to it that all provinces are given equal opportunity available in the region” she added.

The RDC-8 chairperson pointed out that proven good practices among local government units would have a regional effect if that would be discussed in the plenary of RDC.