The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI conducted its first webinar-training on Development Planning and Policy Formulation on 28 August 2020 via Zoom. The webinar-training served as Package I of the Council’s Capacity Building (CapBuild) Program for CYs 2020 to 2022. Package I of the capacity building program focused on capacitating RDC XI members on Spatial Planning, Futures and Foresight Planning, and, Policy Analysis.  The event was graced by distinguished resource speakers: Dr. Arturo G. Corpuz, Urban-Regional Planner for Ayala Land Inc.; Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan, Jr., President of the Development Academy of the Philippines; and, Dr. Rosemarie G. Edillon, Policy and Planning Group Undersecretary of the National Economic and Development Authority.

Dr. Corpuz focused on Spatial Planning as a requisite tool towards achieving development objectives, as well as the context of Spatial Planning in the regional and local levels. Dr. Corpuz described spatial strategy at the regional level to be settlements-based that is inclusive of urban and rural areas, as well as accounting for centers of production and markets in a region. Dr. Corpuz touched on the key elements and design features of New Urbanism/Neo-traditionalism, and presented to the Council the Philippines’ adoption of the same and how it compares to benchmark countries.

Policy and Development Planning in the context of a “VUCA” (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) World was a shared concept between Atty. Caronan’s session on Futures and Foresight Planning and Dr. Edillon’s topic on Policy Analysis. Atty. Caronan emphasized the benefits of using strategic scenario planning in adapting to a VUCA World. Accordingly, Dr. Edillon related Policy Analysis and VUCA to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On her session, Dr. Edillon shared to the Council tips on how to handle “shocks”, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in policy analysis and planning. Dr. Edillon provided firsthand examples on the process of policy analysis and formulation undertaken by the IATF-MEID towards mitigating the effects of COVID-19 in Davao Region.

The RDC XI Capacity Building Program 2020-2022 was an offshoot of the agreements of the Council during its Strategic Planning Conference for 2020-2022 conducted on 17 January 2020. The next package of the CapBuild webinar-training shall focus on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Projects, the NEDA Board Investment Coordination Committee Project Review and Approval Process, and, Project Appraisal and Financing.

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Laurence Gido, NEDA XI

Photos by NEDA XI