Declaring Year 2002 as the Regional Development Planning Year

May 16, 2002 PROCLAMATION NO. 198 DECLARING YEAR 2002 AS THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING YEAR WHEREAS, in 1972, the government adopted regional development planning as a means to promote growth and development in the countryside; WHEREAS, decentralized development planning has been institutionalized through the Regional Development Councils which coordinate the formulation and implementation of regional plans and investment programs; WHEREAS, development planning in the regions has nurtured participative processes as espoused in the Constitution and Local Government Code, resulting in enhanced socio-economic development in the regions and in their component local governments units; HaEcAC WHEREAS, regional development planning has been instrumental in defining directions and arriving at responsive action plans towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of the Filipinos; WHEREAS, regional development planning has been an effective mechanism in channeling resources to critical development activities in different parts of the country; WHEREAS, the need to further promote and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance of regional development planning among different sectors of society is necessary to elicit their continuing cooperation and support; NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare year 2002 as the Regional Development Planning Year in commemoration of the 30 years of its adoption and implementation. I also enjoin the RDCs and its equivalent structure, to take the lead in this celebration, highlighting the past and present contributions, and future prospects of regional planning in national, regional and local development processes. ACETSa I call upon all national and regional line agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, private sectors, the academe, legislators, and other entities involved in local and regional development to participate in the activities pertaining thereto. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed. DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Two.