At least five mayors of Eastern Visayas provinces are vying for the position of Regional Development Council (RDC), which is considered the region's highest policymaking body with a term of three years. Only one would be lucky to get Malacañang's nod. But there are also three private sector nominees for the post.
The contenders for RDC chairman are five local chief executives namely: Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla; Maasin City, Southern Leyte Mayor Nacional Mercado; Baybay City, Leyte Mayor Jose Carlos Cari; Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez; and Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez.
OpinYon Media Advocacies, Inc. Vice President and Assistant Publisher for Eastern Visayas Atty. Buenaventura Go-Soco, Jr, Roy Bernard Fiel and Leo Christian Lauzon were nominated from the private sector for chairmanship.
Among the nominees, Mayor Alfred Romualdez appears to be taking the lead. Although no formal tabulation was released, a reliable source confirmed that the Tacloban City Mayor had been nominated multiple times through written nominations that were sent to the NEDA central office.
Meanwhile, the Private Sector Organizations (PSOs) had also elected 15 private sector representatives (PSRs) to be part of the region's highest policy making body during the Third Quarter 2022 Full Council Meeting last September 8 in Palo, Leyte.
Atty. Buenaventura Go-Soco, Jr. represents the multimedia communication sector, Hector E. Tuburan Jr. for health and nutrition, Rev. Fr. Rey Anthony P. Navidad for basic education, Leo Christian V. Lauzon for persons with special concerns, Bellsedaize C. Acaso for labor, Reynaldo C. Franco for tourism, Angelito C. Cañetefor infrastructure and logistics and Imelda Angulo-Andales for information and communication technology.
To complete the list are Allan L. Laniba for energy, for disaster resiliency, Mario Ian S. Mosquisa for environment, Atty. Roy Bernard C. Fiel for agriculture and fisheries, Eugene A. Tan for trade and industries, Francisco P. Barredo for financial intermediation and management and Marvin F. Tobello for research and development and innovation.
“The nominees will be endorsed to the Office of the President for appointment by virtue of a resolution through Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan,” saidNEDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Meylene Rosales.
President Marcos, Jr. will select among the nominees who will be the chair and co-chair.
Under Executive Order 325, qualified to head the RDC as chair and co-chair are the provincial governors, mayors of capital towns and cities, presidents of the league of municipalities in six provinces, and private sector representatives.
If a local chief executive is chosen as chair, the co-chair will be from the private sector.But, in cases where an official of the non-government group is selected as chair, the co-chair will be a local chief executive.
Local officials who fail to take the coveted seat will still remain as ordinary members of the council with recommendatory powers but the approval will be from the 15-man RDC council with the chair and co-chair before being brought to the national government, through the NEDA.
The appointed chief and members of the policy making will be in charge of the RDC that serves as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level andis the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region.
It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.