GUIMARAS – The Provincial Development Council (PDC), chaired by Gov. JC Rahman Nava, approved some of the proposed priority projects for 2025.
Among these are the conversion of the Provincial Training and Enterprise Development Center (PTEDC) into a local economic enterprise and the construction of a modern infrastructure for PTEDC with a budget of P25 million to be sourced from the 20 percent development fund (DF) for 2025.
In its third quarter meeting held on Tuesday, September 24, the Council also gave the nod to the following proposed projects: P9 million for the implementation of the 10-year provincial ecological solid waste management program; P2.5 million for concreting of university road at Guimaras State University, Salvador campus; P60 million for improvement of Dr. Catalino G. Nava Provincial Hospital building; P30 million for the completion of four-storey Out Patient Care Building; P17 million for Center for Health and Social Services; P50 million for the development of New Provincial Capitol grounds; P5 million for completion of feed mill warehouse at the Agri-Fishery Industrial Village in Barangay Sapal, Sibunag; P10 million for the construction of multi-purpose building (one-stop service); and various upgrading/improvement of roads covered by the tourism circuit under the flagship development program Kabataan FIRST.
The funding for these projects is still awaiting approval from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) which was represented during the meeting by Alejandro Araneta, the chairperson of SP Committee on Appropriations.
For 2025, the 20 percent development fund for the province increased to P218,162,087 from P183,742,642.
The Council also approved the following resolutions: Resolution No. 2024-11 recommending the approval of enhancements and inclusions in the 2024-2025 of the updated Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP) and corresponding enhancements in the 2024-2025 Annual Investment Program (AIP) of the Guimaras Environment and Natural Resources Office and the Office of the Governor; EDC Resolution No. 4-2024 endorsing the updated Provincial Commodity Investment Plan for Coconut, incorporating climate resilience strategies; and PDRMMC Resolution No. 4 approving the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 2025 – 5 percent local disaster risk reduction and management fund work and financial plan amounting to P56,274,722./PN
