GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/28 August) — Development planners in South Cotabato have proposed for about P535.66 million worth of socio-economic and development investments for the province’s 10 towns and lone city next year.
South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said the planned investments covered various top priority programs and projects of the provincial government that it adopted for funding and implementation based on its 2013 Annual Investment Plan (AIP).
He said they are set to submit the AIP, which was recently endorsed by the Provincial Development Council (PDC), to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for review and approval.
“Our investments (next year) will mainly focus on the provision and delivery of more social services and priority infrastructure,” Pingoy said.
Based on the summary of the AIP allocation, the social services component received the biggest funding with P303.39 million or 56.64 percent of the total investments.
The infrastructure component received P161.39 million or 30.13-percent share followed by economic services with P42.67 million or 7.97 percent, general public services with P17.23 million or 3.22 percent and environmental or natural resource services with P10.96 million or 2.05 percent.
The AIP will be funded through the province’s general fund and the 20 percent local development fund.
The governor earlier said among the priority initiatives that would be implemented next year are the construction and development of the provincial hospital annex in Surallah town and the expansion and upgrading of the main provincial hospital in Koronadal City.
Pingoy said they will expand the implementation of its feeding or nutrition programs, outreach programs in remote areas of the province and provision of health care and insurance services for poor residents.
The local government will continue with the repair and upgrading of provincial roads, bridges and related infrastructure as well as enhance the ongoing development of the province’s eco-tourism resources, specifically the famed seven waterfalls of Lake Sebu town, he said.
The PDC, which is chaired by the governor, is considered as the province’s highest policymaking body.
It is composed of the province’s city and municipal mayors, the chair of the committee on appropriations of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, congressional district offices and representatives of non-government organizations operating in the province. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)