Palace: Super regions prelude to decentralization of political power

President Arroyo created the four new "supra" economic regions of North Luzon, Metro Luzon, Central Philippines and Mindanao to devolve political power from Manila to local governments nationwide as envisioned by Charter change advocates, Malacañang said yesterday.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye Jr. said the administration awaits the action of Congress and the proponents of the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.

"Building the economies of the super regions would give the citizenry a preview of how it is to live under a regime of political equity and renewal," he said.

Bunye said the national and the various local governments would pour their combined financial resources to spur growth and create markets for investments, and to facilitate a more strategic approach to planning.

"The decentralization of economic power is a prelude to the eventual decentralization of political power under the aegis of Charter reform," he said.

"At this stage, the people are gearing in growing numbers for constitutional change. We deliver the goods to the people and provide them the much-needed jobs right on their doorstep; and we are confident that now is the time to push the momentum of Charter change to its logical conclusion," Bunye said.

However, Bunye did not say whether the four mega-regions would be the first step to forming federal states as proposed by some Charter change advocates.

"The mega-regions are a good companion to the broader distribution of political power through Charter reforms," he said.

The massive devolution of development from the national to the regional level "will break up the bureaucratic clog that impedes local progress, and spell a quantum leap in investments and jobs," Bunye said.

Earlier, Secretary to the Cabinet Ricardo Saludo said that Mrs. Arroyo might issue an executive order dividing the Philippines into the following areas:

• North Luzon covering the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Autonomous Region and the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija.

• Metro Luzon covering Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON region.

• Central Philippines covering the MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) area, the Bicol Region and Western, Central and Eastern Visayas.

• Mindanao covering the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCSKSARGEN Region, Caraga region and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Mrs. Arroyo said her goal is to bring the national government and the various local governments to work closely together in economic planning.

Rather than discuss the administration’s vision from the usual central and national point of view, its roadmap would be discussed in the Regional Development Councils and other regional institutions "as our partners in development," she added.

The government would pour P100 billion annually in the next three years into the four new regions to jumpstart their economies, Mrs. Arroyo said.