PRA inks partnerships with NAPC, Pasay City, and LPP for inclusive economic development
L-R: PRA General Manager and CEO, Engr. Cesar S. Siador, Jr., Chairman, Atty. Alexander T. Lopez, and Director, Engr. Anthony Peter D. Crisologo during the ceremonial signing of three MOUs on 10 May 2024 in Pasay City.
On a momentous occasion on 10 May 2024, the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) formalized three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), the City Government of Pasay, and the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. These documents aim to foster inclusive socio-economic growth and sustainable development for all Filipinos from all walks of life.
Underscoring the significance of the event, PRA Chairman Alexander T. Lopez, General Manager and CEO Cesar S. Siador Jr., and Director Anthony Peter “Onyx” D. Crisologo represented the agency, along with the Management Committee, at the ceremony.
NAPC Lead Convenor Lope B. Santos III, representing the Commission, entered into an MOU with the PRA for the Poverty Reduction Advocacy: Growth and Opportunities Program or PRA-NAPC Bagong Buhay para sa Mamamayan (PBBM). The collaboration aims to intensify poverty alleviation efforts in coastal communities and focuses on the artisanal fisherfolk sector, identified as the most impoverished in the 2021 Philippine Statistics Authority survey. The program aligns the PRA’s economic development efforts with environmental sustainability and socio-economic growth.
Officials and employees of PRA and NAPC sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the Poverty Reduction Advocacy: Growth and Opportunities Program or PRA-NAPC Bagong Buhay para sa Mamamayan (PBBM) Program
Under the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who chairs the NAPC, the initiative aims to enhance the economic resilience of local communities through socio-economic interventions and extensive community engagement. This marks a significant step toward achieving the government’s broader anti-poverty and sustainable development goals, promising a more inclusive approach to national development. In another MOU, the PRA, and Pasay City as represented by Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, institutionalized the PRA-Pasay Bagong Buhay para sa Masa: Livelihood Project and Incubation Center (PBBM Livelihood Project). This project is designed to boost economic opportunities for local vendors and is set to be located along the Northern Easement of the Libertad Channel in Barangay San Rafael. It aims to foster local entrepreneurship through enhanced infrastructure, networking events, and marketing support, aligning with existing laws and regulations to ensure comprehensive community development.
PRA General Manager and CEO Siador emphasized that integrating order and development in the project’s execution offers dual benefits by supporting the community’s economic ambitions while ensuring sustainable practices that safeguard the environment. This reflects the PRA and Pasay City’s commitment to ecological responsibility, demonstrating that economic initiatives can coexist with environmental stewardship.
In a third MOU, the PRA and the LPP, through its National Chairman and Quirino Provincial Governor Dakila Carlo E. Cua, committed to advance sustainable development goals by promoting trade, entrepreneurship, and local culture of provinces in the country.
L-R: Atty. Jose Chua, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, General Manager and CEO Siador, Chairman Lopez, and Director Crisologo during the MOU Signing for the PRA-Pasay Bagong Buhay para sa Masa: Livelihood Project and Incubation Center (PBBM Livelihood Project).
Chairman Lopez highlighted that this partnership with LPP aims to provide facilities and platforms within reclaimed lands to bolster local industries and enable broader market access. He envisions the soon-to-rise PRA Corporate Office Building, which will be located in a newly reclaimed land, to house the provinces’ trade and culture hubs. This strategy extends the socio-economic benefits of reclamation to non-coastal communities by providing dedicated spaces for trade and revenue generation.
The PRA Management Committee and Governing Board is joined by Hon. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, Provincial Governor of Quirino and National Chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, for the MOU signing between PRA and LPP.
The PRA-led signing of the MOUs is a testament to the dedication of key government offices in fulfilling their respective mandates. It aligns with President Marcos Jr.’s vision of a resilient, prosperous, and inclusive Bagong Pilipinas by boosting the potential of both urban and rural communities through the opportunities afforded by reclamation.