LGUs in Caraga adopt population, dev’t plan
BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte -- The local government units (LGUs) in Caraga Region unanimously adopted their Population and Development Plan of Action for 2024 during the 1st quarter meeting of the Regional Population and Development Committee (RPDC) on February 28, 2024.
This decision marked a significant step towards rolling out the national and regional Population and Development Plan of Action (POA) for 2023-2028.
The adoption of the plan followed a presentation by Director Alexander A. Makinano of CPD-Caraga, who outlined key focus areas identified during the workshop held on November 23, 2023. These areas include responsible parenthood and family planning promotion, adolescent health and youth development, women’s economic empowerment, enhancing access for those in remote/disadvantaged areas, and building capacities for improved Population and Development (POPDEV) program implementation across the region.
In his presentation, Dir. Makinano emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement in planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities. He also underscored the need for competency building in research and analytics to inform evidence-based programs and encouraged partnerships with government agencies, the private sector, and civil society to expand reach and resources.
Furthermore, Makinano highlighted the significance of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment alongside responsible parenthood and integrating population perspectives into sectoral plan development. He stressed the importance of improving mechanisms for activity monitoring, impact assessment, and progress tracking to ensure the effectiveness of POPDEV initiatives.
Specific recommendations were tailored to the unique contexts of each province. The focus is on enhancing youth participation in designing and implementing youth development activities, while in DILG-Caraga, efforts are directed towards encouraging greater budget allocation for POPDEV activities in local development plans and supporting the integration of population factors in development policy-making.
Overall, the recommendations put forth by Makinano aimed to promote more strategic, responsive, and high-impact POPDEV planning and programs in Caraga Region. By addressing the unique provincial contexts and community needs, the LGUs are poised to make significant strides in achieving sustainable development goals and improving the well-being of their constituents. (May Ann O. Escobal, CPD-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
