CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Northern Mindanao residents could see upgraded highway networks, modernized aviation facilities, expanded employment pools, and enhanced public services if more than ₱479.2 billion in priority projects endorsed by the Regional Development Council (RDC)-10 secure inclusion in the proposed 2027 national budget.
The comprehensive investment proposal gained formal approval during the council’s 145th Full Council Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) campus in Cagayan de Oro City. The funding roadmap aims to fast-track regional infrastructure development, protect supply chains, and optimize civic delivery networks.
RDC-10 Priority Development Framework (2027 Budget Proposal)
| Core Project Focus Area | Specific Institutional Target / Legislation | Primary Socio-Economic Objective |
| Aviation Infrastructure | Laguindingan Airport & Bukidnon Airport Development | Improve regional connectivity; optimize cargo and passenger movement efficiency. |
| Workforce Development | Advancing Skills, Competitiveness and Enterprise Development (ASCEND) | Strengthen local industry innovation; train laborers for high-wage positions. |
| Grassroots Economics | Republic Act No. 11535 (Cooperative Development Offices) | Mandatory deployment of local support hubs to generate neighborhood business options. |
| Social Research | Regional Development Policy Study | Conduct scientific research into regional health, nutrition, migration patterns. |
Aviation upgrades headline the structural endorsements, led by the modernization of Laguindingan Airport and the final completion phases of the Bukidnon Airport Development Project. Council planners noted these allocations are positioned to attract cross-border commercial investments by stabilizing transit ecosystems.
The council also approved the Advancing Skills, Competitiveness and Enterprise Development (ASCEND) Project. This labor initiative seeks to realign workforce competencies with industrial demands, supporting local manufacturing sectors while encouraging enterprise innovation.
To reinforce grassroot economic systems, the RDC urged all local government units throughout Northern Mindanao to satisfy the statutory mandates of Republic Act No. 11535. The resolution calls for the immediate operationalization of dedicated Cooperative Development Offices across all municipalities to expand micro-enterprise safety nets.
Concurrently, the council authorized a multi-sector regional study tracking health, nutrition, migration, and structural social trends. The data will serve as a foundational baseline for state departments to design evidence-based community programs.
RDC-10 Chairperson and Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal, delivering his first State of the Region Address, stated that the approved resolutions are engineered to bolster Northern Mindanao’s market competitiveness while ensuring development reaches the grassroots.
"This underscores the importance of strengthening food security, enhancing productivity, and ensuring that growth remains inclusive and resilient. More importantly, economic growth alone is not enough; growth is meaningful only when every Mindanaon feels its benefits," Oaminal said.
The endorsed infrastructure portfolio will now advance into the national budget optimization process for evaluation under the upcoming 2027 General Appropriations Act.
