GENERAL SANTOS CITY (October 13, 2022) - Governor Rogelio “Ruel” D. Pacquiao chaired the 64th Regular Meeting of the Sarangani Provincial Development Council (PDC), and the first PDC meeting under his administration, on October 13 at Tierra Montana Hotel.

Governor Pacquiao, chairman of the PDC, was joined by the rest of the members of the council including the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, the mayors of the seven municipalities or their duly designated representatives, and the chairpersons of other participating councils.

Other members of the PDC include the chairperson of the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council, chairperson of the Sarangani Provincial Tribal Council or the bonafide council authorized to represent the Indigenous People in the PDC, and

representatives of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

In his opening statement, Governor Pacquiao highlighted that his battlecry, “I will courageously face the monster of poverty in Sarangani” has always been his “driving force in leading the province to the development that we aspire.”

“I earnestly hope that we shall be able to intensify the delivery of basic social and health services, infrastructure support, good governance, and public service as our Annual Investment Program for 2023 has already been aligned with the RP Development Program and was already approved by the members of our Sanggunian,” the governor told the council members. 

According to the Provincial Planning and Development Office, the 64th PDC Regular Meeting will primarily focus on its reorganization and its sectoral and functional committees, the review and endorsement of the Supplemental AIP No. 1, CY 2023; and the reversion and re-appropriation of funds for an infrastructure project.

Also, the governor led the turnover of checks worth a total of P14.5 million as the provincial counterpart of the PLGU to the seven municipal LGUs in the updating of the Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS).

The meeting was also attended by the Local Finance Committee (LFC) members and Capitol department and special unit heads.

The creation of the Provincial Development Council is mandated under Section 106 of Republic Act No. 7160 or otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, to each local government unit for the purpose of initiating the preparation of comprehensive multi-sectoral plan, and of assisting the local Sanggunian in setting the direction of economic and social development and coordinating development efforts within its territorial jurisdiction. (Jori Mae R. Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

Jake T. Narte