The Philippine Statistics Authority sets up Philsys Registration Kits
at NEDA Region 5

Recognizing the importance and urgency of having a national ID while underscoring the need to strictly observe health protocols due to the threat of COVID 19, the NEDA Region 5 collaborated with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for the institutional registration under Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

On May 27, 2021 the PSA set up registration kits, at the RDC Hall, NEDA Building in Arimbay, Legazpi City. The registration was open to NEDA 5 employees and their immediate family members. Demographic and biometric information were collected and captured from a total of 84 individuals. According to the PhilSys team “ the national ID is expected to be issued in two to three months.”

Strict adherence to health safety protocols were observed during the activity. Staffs and their accompanying family members were given respective schedules to limit the number of persons at the venue at a given time. An adjacent room was used as waiting area.

Maria Teresa Chong, Chief Economic Development Specialist of the Development Research Division, expressed gratitude for this undertaking—,” Thank you NEDA for accommodating the PhilSys registration of my family members today.”

Meanwhile, the PSA has a registration site at Embarcadero de Legazpi for walk-in registrants. Registration sites are also available at every city and municipality in the region.

NEDA Region 5 employees and their family members registered their demographic and biometric information to the Philsys at the RDC Hall, NEDA Region 5, Legazpi City. (Photo credit: PSA Albay)

PSA initially validates the submitted requirements of the registrant before encoding of their personal information and capturing the biometric information through fingerprinting and iris scan. (Photo credit: PSA Albay)

RD Agnes E. Tolentino undergoes the first step in Philsys registration, validation of the PhilSys Registration Form and presentation of valid government issued ID. (Photo credit: PSA Albay)

RD Agnes E. Tolentino with the PSA Team after her registration for the National ID. (Photo credit: PSA Albay)

MaryMargaretAnsano/NEDA5

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Bicol SDG Committee tackles lack of 2020 data for regional SDG indicators

The Special Regional Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals (SRC-SDGs) held its first semester meeting on May 26, 2021 to review the preliminary assessment of the region’s progress to attain the SDGs. The assessment is based on a comparison of the latest available regional data of the SDG indicators with the regional baseline and target figures.

Out of the 155 indicators that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Board initially approved to track the achievement of the SDGs in the country, the PSA Region 5 identified 117 indicators that have regional disaggregation and 59 indicators that have provincial disaggregation. However, only 18 indicators have 2020 data, and 40 have previous years’ data. Most of these indicators fall under SDGs No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, and Quality Education. For the rest of the indicators, the concerned regional agencies and provincial governments identified as sources of data were requested to validate if they are compiling said data, and to submit the 2020 data if available.

The assessment will be inserted as an annex to the CY 2020 Bicol Regional Development Report, and will help the committee in identifying the gaps and prioritizing the strategic interventions to drive progress on the SDGs.

Participants during the first semester CY 2021 meeting of the Special Regional Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals (SRC-SDGs) on May 26, 2021 via videoconference

Mr. Danilo Luceña of PSA Region 5 presents the availability of SDG indicators at the regional and provincial level during the first semester CY 2021 meeting of the SRC-SDGs on May 26, 2021 via videoconference

GraceTorres/NEDA5

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Bicol RDC Chairperson visits international airport project site

Bicol Regional Development Council (RDC) Chairperson and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal visited the ongoing Bicol International Airport Development Project (BIADP) in Daraga, Albay last May 17, 2021. Together with NEDA Regional Director Agnes Tolentino and CAAP Area 5 Manager Cynthia Tumanut, they were briefed by the project manager, Engr. Jose Giron of the DOTr. As of May 19, 2021, the project posted an overall physical accomplishment of 83.4 percent and is targeted to be completed by the end of June, 2021. Package 2A, which involves the construction of landside facilities, is 94.9 percent completed. Package 2B, which involves the construction of passenger terminal building and runway extension, is 75.3 percent completed. Following the site visit of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade last May 13, 2021, it was announced that the airport will start operations by December 2021.

One concern that was raised during the site visit is the runway, whose 2,500 meter length cannot be fully maximized due to the obstruction on one end by the Kiimantong Hill, and on the other end by the transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. In consideration of the future development of the airport, and to ensure that the airport will be able to keep up with potential increase in traffic in the future, it is deemed important to address the runway limitations at this point in time. The proposal to further extend the runway will be discussed during the third quarter Infrastructure Development Committee meeting in August.

GabrielBurac/NEDA5

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Pandemic Brings 8.4% Economic Contraction to Bicol in 2020

RD Agnes E. Tolentino, NEDA Director and Chairperson of the Regional Statistics Committee, presented the economic performance of the Bicol Region during the nationwide simultaneous press conference conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority last April 29, 2021. The Bicol Region recorded economic contraction by 8.4 percent from a positive growth of 8.2 percent in 2019.

In 2018 and 2019, the Bicol Region’s economy was the fastest growing economy in the country. However, in 2020, it contracted by 8.4 percent from a positive growth of 8.2 percent in 2019. This is below the annual target range of 6.7 percent to 7.7 percent growth as set under the Updated Bicol Regional Development Plan (RDP) 2017 to 2022. These resulted in a significant decrease in GRDP value by about PHP47.48 billion, from PHP564.94 billion in 2019 to PHP517.46 billion.

The Bicol Region has been challenged to improve the economy on three fronts, namely: (1) imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that started in March 2020; (2) series of tropical cyclones (TCs) Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses (QRU) that ravaged the Bicol Region in the last quarter of the year, and (3) the African Swine Fever (ASF) which affected some parts of the region. These significantly affected the region’s economy and development prospects.

To address these challenges, Bicol adopted the (a) Regional Recovery Program (RRP) for COVID-19 Phase I Post-ECQ to carry out immediate socioeconomic development responses and support interventions; (b) Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (RRP) for TCs QRU to restore socio-economic conditions in disaster-affected areas; and (c) measures to contain the spread of the ASF virus.

All the three major production sectors recorded negative growth rates. The AFF sector contracted by 1.3 percent from a positive growth of 4.7 percent in 2019 due to challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, weather disturbances, and pest infestations. The industry sector also contracted by 13.6 percent from a positive growth of 7.9 percent in 2019 which was attributed to contraction in the mining and quarrying, and construction subsectors. The services sector also contracted by 6.9 percent from a positive growth of 9.8 percent in 2019 which was attributed to contraction in the transportation and storage, other services, and accommodation and food service activities subsectors.

In her statement, Director Tolentino affirmed that, “a gradual and safe reopening of the economy will be imposed to better manage the risks. Bicol will continue to (1) carry out the RRP for COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency stages, Action Plans of the Task Groups of the Recovery Cluster under the National Action Plan for COVID-19 Phase III, and Bicol RRP for TCs QRU; (2) implement timely roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines; (3) fully implement the Bayanihan 2 Fund; (4) complete big-ticket infrastructure projects; (5) increase operational capacity and promote competitiveness in the services sector; and (6) promote seamless social service delivery through the Philippine Identification System”.

The NEDA Secretary, she said, opined “that the COVID-19 would stay with us for some time. What is important here is that we can already have our interventions for our health sector, continue with the vaccination, ensure the cooperation of everyone regarding the health protocols, keep everybody safe, and continue the investments even for the expenditures coming from the government side. If that will be maintained or even enhanced, we can still fight the pandemic.”

In closing, Director Tolentino expressed high hopes that with the support and commitment from everyone, Bicol will be able to rebound its economy to pre-pandemic level by 2022. She said that, “it is a must to remain committed towards attaining every Filipino and every Bicolano’s vision of a matatag, maginhawa at panatag na buhay para sa lahat”.

Indeed, tuloy ang aksyon para sa Ambisyon.

RD Agnes E. Tolentino of NEDA Region 5 presents the statement on the 2020 economic performance of the region on April 29, 2021

RD Cynthia L. Perdiz of PSA Region 5 presents the data on the 2020 economic performance of the region on April 29, 2021

MaryAnnMontecastro/NEDA5

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