Is Mindanao being short-changed in the allocation of the national budget? The answer is yes. The Kusog Mindanao Conference also commemorated the 60th anniversary of the German Federal Republic with a lecture by Dr. Dieter Benecke on Germany’s social market economy which was full of insights. Devastated and a defeated nation and ripped apart into Russian and Allied sectors, Germany has risen from the ashes of WWII using the social market economy. What lessons from the German experience can be of used in the Philippine setting? (To be discussed in another article.)

Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro had a researcher verify figures of GDP for Mindanao and budget allocations. Although Mindanao has approximately 30 percent of the national population it produced only 17.28 percent of GDP in 1998 and 16 percent in 2007 but through those years received only about 7 percent to 9 percent of the national budget meaning a shortage of about 7 percent to 10 percent. With these figures it is understandable that six out of the 10 poorest provinces in the country are in Mindanao. Mindanao has the largest exports (compared to Luzon and the Visayas) in agricultural products. This it will continue to increase unlike the manufacturing sector that has been badly affected by the worldwide meltdown and the Chinese competition in manufactured goods. Over 20 years ago former Senator Paterno asserted that investment with the highest leverage would have to be in Mindanao. Every peso invested in Mindanao would make a greater return than the peso invested in Luzon or the Visayas. Mindanao exports in agricultural products like bananas are ahead of competition. Similarly mining of metals like copper and nickel, heavy in Mindanao, have huge potentials since these commodities are essential to the growth of China and India.

What then are the Mindanao leaders to do? The legislators, the local government executives and the private sector associations of Mindanao have to pressure the national government to give Mindanao justice and a fair share of the budget. At one time during the tenure of President Ramos budget allocation for Mindanao rose to more than double the present allocation. It certainly helped the prosperity of the Ramos years. We still need roads to connect the different enclaves of Mindanao. The Mindanao lateral roads have been approved over a decade ago but are still non existent. We need unity in Mindanao just like the other parts of the country but even more so here. If only there were no more fighting in Mindanao, we could improve the lives of our people. Bai Fatima Sinsuat laments the fact that now they ask you if you are Muslimor Christian. In her youth she says that nobody ever asked and nobody cared. Muslims and Christians lived together in the same locality without bothering to know your religious identity. We need to break the vicious cycle of poverty and insurgency. The national government can help speed up the process but in the end we Mindanaoans have to do it ourselves. Gov. Sacdalan has shown the way. Projects budgeted for P48 million he did for P28 million and in half the time. If only other leaders did not excessively line their pockets at the expense of the ordinary citizens. <emeterio_barcelon@yahoo.com>