BUTUAN City – Caraga’s Regional Development Council (RDC) is optimistic that the death of top New People’s Army (NPA) leader Myrna Sularte, alias Maria Malaya, will accelerate development initiatives in the region’s remote areas.
Sularte, the NPA’s top leader in Caraga, was killed in an encounter with government troops in Barangay Pianing, Butuan City on Feb. 12.
RDC 13 (Caraga) chair, Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo Demerey Jr., said Friday the leadership vacuum in the rebel movement would facilitate a smoother implementation of regional development projects.
“This vacuum will create confusion among the remaining members of the rebel movement and lead to disintegration among their ranks,” Demerey said in an interview.
He highlighted the weakening of the NPA in the region due to sustained government interventions and focused military operations.
“A number of NPA combatants have already surrendered, and they have lost areas of influence as we brought government programs and services to the countryside,” he said.
This, he said would help the region, which logged a 4.9 percent increase in economic activities in 2023.
Quoting the Philippine Statistics Authority, he said, the region’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose to P119,691 in 2023 from P115,247 in 2022.
He attributed this growth to such key industries as services, agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
“Caraga Region’s economic progress is set to continue with the 2023-2028 Caraga Regional Development Plan (CRDP) firmly in place,” he said.
The CRDP is anchored on i2FAME, which stands for Industrialization and Innovation in Fishery, Agroforestry, Mining, and Ecotourism. (PNA)
