Former Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on Tuesday, May 3, said the development of Mindanao will be central to the country’s sustained economic growth.

Binay, who is running for senator, said he would push for laws and policies that would increase government spending for social services and infrastructure in Mindanao and bring in more foreign investments, particularly in the agriculture and power sectors, if elected.

“Investing in the social well-being of the people needs to be a priority since the people will form the backbone of Mindanao’s development,” he said.

“We will support and encourage policy measures that will make crops from Mindanao globally competitive. This should go hand in hand with expanding rural infrastructure,” he added.

He noted that infrastructure projects in Mindanao will translate to more jobs, economic activities, and investors.

Binay urged the government to allocate more for investments in health, infrastructure, and education in Mindanao.

“We need to cut down the bureaucratic inefficiencies that delay the construction of new power plants. We will streamline the application process for new power plants to ramp-up Mindanao’s power supply," he said.

Binay met with Vice Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and local officials who pledged their support for his candidacy.