THE Economic Development Committee approved the endorsement of the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP), a five-year development roadmap, to the Regional Development Council (RDC) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Region 2 during a virtual meeting held on June 14.
Fortuna C. Benosa, manager of the Corporate Planning (CorPlan) Department, presented the programs and projects and budget under the roadmap to the committee chaired by Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua.
Budget proposals for the component projects of the block farm totaled Php2.5 billion for 2023 with about PhP620 million of the budget allocated for Region 2.
In general comments presented to the meeting, the committee lauded the NTA for introducing the Block Farming (clustering) as key strategy in achieving more efficient farming with reduced production cost and increased farm productivity and income, and in consistent efforts in discovering other industrial applications and uses for tobacco.
Deputy Administrators Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana (Operations) and Benedicto M. Savellan (Support Services), Neyo E. Valdez, chief of the Planning, Programming and Evaluation Division of CorPlan, and Alex L. Borje, Chief TPRO of the Regulation Department joined Benosa in the presentation and discussion of the STEP.
NEDA-RDC Region 1 has also endorsed the STEP to the Department of Budget and Management per RDC Resolution 05 s. 2022 dated 30 March 2022.
Before the EDC meeting, Fortuna also presented the programs and plans of the STEP with proposed budget to DBM Assistant Secretary Cristina B. Clasara and Director Grace M. De los Santos of the Budget and Management Bureau in a virtual meeting on June 9.
In his message to the DBM, Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr described the roadmap as the agency’s mission to improve the quality of life of the farmers and promote the growth and development of the industry, and make the industry a major source of growth to the Philippine economy.