President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Jesus Dureza as chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) with a fixed term of six years.

With his new government portfolio, Dureza joined the cabinet meeting Tuesday in Malacañang that tackled measures to address the power shortfall in Mindanao, a day after he took his oath of office before President Arroyo.

The former Press Secretary will head the new office that would supervise the socio-economic development of Mindanao under Republic Act No. 9996.

The law, signed by President Arroyo last month, converts the existing Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), which Dureza previously headed, into a permanent agency that would foster an integrated and faster development of the region.

The President also administered yesterday the oath of office of newly appointed Trade Secretary Jesli Lapus and Education Secretary Mona Valisno in a ceremony in the Palace prior to Cabinet meeting.

Lapus, a former lawmaker, was designated to replace Trade Secretary Peter Favila who was appointed member of the Monetary Board, the policymaking body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Valisno, on the other hand, sat as Presidential Adviser on Education prior to her cabinet appointment.

Dureza held various Cabinet positions in the Arroyo government, including Presidential Assistant for Mindanao, government chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Press Secretary and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.

Dureza, a law graduate from Ateneo de Davao University, served two terms as congressman of the 1st district of Davao City from 1987 to 1989, and from 1992 to 1995.