Ang Pahayagan

ZAMBALES— The Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC III) has approved a P197.64-billion Tier 2 budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 following consultations with the 32 regional government line agencies and 12 state universities and colleges in the region.

Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who is also chairman of RDC III, said the budgeted programs and projects are expected to accelerate inclusive economic growth, strengthen social services, enhance governance systems, promote environmental sustainability, and modernize infrastructure across Central Luzon.

RDC III approved the budget proposals during a full-council meeting on March 23.

Ebdane said the final budget proposals were aligned with the Central Luzon Regional Development Plan (CL-RDP) 2023-2028 Midterm Update, which introduced a comprehensive set of enhanced strategies, policies, targets, programs, and projects designed to accelerate regional development and inclusive growth.

The CL-RDP was anchored on three core pillars—empowering individuals and families, transforming production sectors to generate quality employment and globally competitive products, and cultivating an enabling environment for a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society.

“We didn’t just approve the budget; we set the direction for growth,” Ebdane said, adding that he has emphasized that regional priorities must be lean, responsive, and high-impact.

“Our goal is not just to spend but invest wisely, efficiently, and equitably when it matters the most,” he added.

Budget items approved by RDC III for 2027 included proposals from the economic development sector to ensure food security, promote trade and investments, modernize agriculture and agribusiness, revitalize industry and services sectors, and advance research and development, technology, and innovation.

Proposals from the environment sector, meanwhile, called for key interventions in ecosystem protection, environmental management, natural resources governance, and climate-resilient development.

RDC III also approved budget proposals previously vetted by its Social Development Committee chaired by Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda, which pressed for priority programs in education, health, employment, housing, and social protection.

In the March 23 meeting, RDC III also signified support to DILG’s Local Government Code of 1991 Review and Amendment Program (ReVamP) and the BSP’s Paleng-QR PH Plus Program; designated the DOST III and DTI III as regional representatives to the 2026 Presidential Filipinnovation Awards National Selection Committee; and reconstituted the Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC III) as a special committee under RDC III to strengthen land use and spatial planning coordination. – Taktikom News & Features

📸 RDC III officials, led by Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., discuss the P197.64-billion budget proposals for Central Luzon in 2027 during the full-council meeting on March 23. (ZFP photo)