The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), and Mindanao State University-General Santos City (MSU-GSC) hosted the 10th Mindanao Policy Research Forum (MPRF) on Thursday, September 26, at Greenleaf Hotel in GenSan.
This annual forum, themed “Navigating Global Trends, Mindanao’s Future: Opportunities and Strategies for Expanding the Middle Class,” provided a platform for leaders, policy practitioners, and development advocates to engage in in-depth discussions on various aspects of middle-class expansion. The event was also streamed live on the PIDS Facebook page.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) launched its vision in 2015 to create a predominantly middle-class society by 2040. This vision aims for a future where all Filipinos enjoy a high quality of life, strong family and community ties, and a society free from poverty.
Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows a decline in the national poverty rate to 15.5 percent from 18.1 percent in 2021. The poverty threshold is set at ₱13,873 per month. Families with incomes between 2 and 12 times the poverty line (₱25,000 to ₱145,000) are classified as middle-income.
In a video message, Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno, Chairperson of MinDA, emphasized that this year’s key theme aligns with MinDA’s vision for sustained growth in Mindanao, as outlined in the Mindanao Agenda 2020.
“I am confident that this forum can help us provide the strategies and mechanisms as we pursue evidence-base decision making and effective policy making for nation building. Let us help our policy makers craft policies that can sustain and widen our middle class to become upper middle class in the future," Magno said.
The first speaker, PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Roehlano Briones, Sr., discussed matching grant schemes as a strategy to finance farmer organizations and private micro and small enterprises.
MSU-GSC College of Social Science and Humanities Dean Mario “Mayong” J. Aguja presented his study, highlighting Mindanao as a land of promise but also a land of contradictions due to malnutrition, cultural poverty, the continuation of elite democracy, and other underlying issues affecting its development. Aguja proposed solutions such as deep investment in health and education, job creation, and the development and updating of comprehensive land use plans by local government units.
Reactors offering their perspectives to enrich the conversation included Atty. Simon Peter S. Zagado, political affairs officer IV representing Misamis Oriental Congressman Yevgeny Vincente “Bambi” Beja-Emano; Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, MNSA, Director General of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA); and Bro. Manuel V. De Leon, FMS, President of Notre Dame of Dadiangas University Inc.
The MPRF also featured notable speeches from MSU-GSC Chairperson Usman D. Aragasi, MPA, JD, and PIDS President Dr. Aniceto C. Orbeta, Jr. Additional insights were shared during the open forum and the press conference.
More than 200 participants, including researchers, institutional leaders, faculty members, and government workers from different regions in Mindanao, attended the event.
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(Press release and photo from MinDa)
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