BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez here was installed as the new chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas.
Benitez, joined by his wife Dominique, took his oath before Presiding Judge Juvy Dioso of the Regional Trial Court Branch 49 during the RDC and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Western Visayas orientation at L’Fisher Hotel here on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
The meeting was presided over by Benitez, Engr. Arecia Casing Jr., officer-in-charge director of NEDA-Western Visayas and vice-chairperson of RDC-Western Visayas, and Cynthia Lumampao, assistant director of RDC-Western Visayas.
Benitez, in a message, said the meeting was an introduction to the eight-point agenda that NEDA has prepared. A roadmap of where the development of the region will be in six years, he added.
“I thought it would be fitting that they would present it to us, the department heads, to the city of Bacolod, and the council, so that we will have an idea about the plans that have been crafted aligned with our national government on the different activities that the department will undertake,” Benitez said.
As RDC chairman, Benitez will supervise the monitoring of the implementation of major inter-provincial and region-wide development programs, projects, and activities; represent the region in Cabinet meetings and budget review activities on the national level; direct the formulation of a comprehensive regional development plan and preparation of a system of investment programming activities on the national level; review, revise, and approve all policy recommendations, plans, programs, and projects originating from the technical staff before submission to the council; and supervise administrative operations, including disbursements of any fund of the council subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedures.