September 16, 2025 — In a strong display of regional solidarity, the House Committee on Mindanao Affairs unanimously adopted House Resolution No. 15, institutionalizing the “Building a Better Mindanao” campaign as a strategic framework for aligning national budget priorities and sustaining development programs across the region.
The resolution, authored by Deputy Speaker Yevgeny Vincente Emano, endorses the campaign spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) under Secretary Leo Tereso Magno.
Committee Chair Rep. Jason P. Almonte of Misamis Occidental’s First District lauded MinDA for providing strategic directives and comprehensive updates on Mindanao’s progress. Secretary Magno, during the committee’s organizational meeting, presented the 2023–2028 Development Agenda which focuses on infrastructure, climate resilience, peacebuilding, and ASEAN regional cooperation.
“This campaign is our roadmap for coherence and continuity,” Magno stressed. “Institutionalizing it ensures that Mindanao’s transformation goes beyond political and geographical limits—it becomes embedded in how we plan, fund, and govern.”
Representative Celso Regencia of Iligan led the motion to adopt the resolution, calling for “one united Mindanao voice” in support of the campaign. Rep. Marlo Bancoro of Zamboanga Sibugay seconded the motion, with all members committing to co-author the resolution—a collective mandate to embed Mindanao’s priorities into the national development agenda.
The “Building a Better Mindanao” campaign, earlier adopted by the MinDA Board, is anchored on a 10-Point Development Agenda and complements President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of inclusive growth. It aims to transform Mindanao into a resilient and economically vibrant region through strategic investments, inter-agency coordination, and long-term policy alignment.
President Marcos has consistently emphasized Mindanao’s role in national progress, declaring: “Ang kinabukasan ng Mindanao ay kinabukasan ng buong bansa.”
The committee’s endorsement underscores the Marcos administration’s push for inclusive, regionally balanced development, highlighting that strategic investments, peacebuilding, and climate resilience in Mindanao are not just regional priorities but national imperatives.