New NEDA-9 home inaugurated in Balintawak

• Source:http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1351460613872/new-neda-9-home-inaugurated-in-balintawak
• Thursday, April 14, 2016

By Claro A. Lanipa (ALT/CAL/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)

PAGADIAN CITY, 14 April (PIA) –A newly-constructed 3-story building worth P45.9 million which will house the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority IX (NEDA-9) at the President Corazon C. Aquino Regional Government Center, Balintawak, this city was inaugurated on Monday, April 11, 2016.

Socio Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel F. Esguerra together with Deputy Director General Margarita R. Songco graced the occasion and led the ribbon cutting ceremony and unveiling of the marker assisted by Regional Director Teresita Socorro C. Ramos.

“I am very much thankful to the Lord for the blessing, the city government led by Mayor Romeo P. Pulmones and to everyone who found the time to join us today on this very special occasion,” a teary director said.

“NEDA is the catalyst of development in the region,” Director Ramos emphasized, adding that,“we have to be the trailblazing office, we have to start, we have to do the difficult thing of really pushing for certain development strategies to take place.”

On the other hand, Secretary Esguerra in his keynote speech said, “indeed, this is a very special day for several reasons.First, it is another step closer to meeting one of NEDA’s vision which is for all NEDA regional offices to have their own building.”

“This is important to us because we believe that a conducive and functional work environment affects an organization’s productivity. And this is why we at NEDA sought all possible means to fast-track our building improvement program,” Esguerra said.

Secondly, he thanked Mayor Pulmones for the two lots given to NEDA at no cost, Zamboanga del Sur Governor Antonio H.Cerilles for providing NEDA-9 a home for the past three years at the Provincial Government Complex in Barangay Dao free of charge, DPWH-9 for the assistance in the preparation of the building design, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for making the funds available and former NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan for making the construction of the building possible.

Thirdly, Esguerra said,“this is a special day because of what this event signifies. This is an opportunity for us to reflect on the more than four decades of NEDA’s growth story as an institution. Through the years, we have seen the agency not only grow but also evolve into what it is now in terms of the development of our human resources and in our physical facilities.”

“This new building will then serve as an emblem of NEDA-9’s vision of becoming a catalyst in regional socio-economic development serving with excellence and professionalism in the pursuit of inclusive growth in the Zamboanga Peninsula,” Esguerra stressed.

He announced that last March 30, 2016, NEDA Central Office has launched “AMBISYON NATIN 2040,” a project which essentially summarizes the Filipinos’ collective aspirations for the next 24 years.

Accordingly, the project will serve as the basis for planning for the next four administrations until we reach the year 2040.

NEDA Regional Office transferred from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City on March 23, 2009 under thestewardship of Regional Director Arturo Valero. The marching order to transfer was issued by then Director General Ralph Rector based on Executive Order No. 429 signed by President Corazon C. Aquino,declaring Pagadian City as the new regional government center of Zamboanga Peninsula.