The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) is reviewing the priority programs and projects identified by the six provinces and seven cities in the region in the next five years.

RDC chairperson, Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, said Wednesday the review is in preparation for the first quarter full council meeting in March.

She said the review would raise the chances of projects in the region getting funding allocation from the national government.

“The RDC is checking the implementation-readiness of these projects. We also agreed to incorporate in their projects proposal climate change adaptation measures, considering the impact of natural calamities in the recent years,” Gomez said.

The council declined to provide the list of priority projects of the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Biliran, as well as the cities of Baybay, Borongan, Calbayog, Catbalogan, Maasin, Ormoc, and Tacloban.

In its latest monitoring report, the Department of Budget and Management said from 2016 to 2022, records show that only 45 percent of the RDC-endorsed budget proposals for selected infrastructure projects have been included in the General Appropriations Act.

The underspending, non-utilization, or lapsing of funds and low batting average could have resulted in the loss of opportunities for the socio-economic development of the region.

The RDC-endorsed budget proposals were found to have a low batting average against the General Appropriations Act, pegged at about 45 percent for selected proposed infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2022 based on monitoring reports.

The batting average refers to the ratio of approved funded projects versus the requested projects for funding as endorsed by the RDC. (PNA)