The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) recently presented the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) to the advisory board of the Asian Development Bank on February 11, 2015 at Davao City.

“A plan is just a plan until we haven’t implemented it yet. Our very puzzle nowadays is how we can deliver peace dividends that people in the ground might have sensed it,” BDP Core Planning Team Leader Engr. Windel Diangcalan said during his presentation.

Engr. Diangcalan’s presentation began immediately after the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) had presented their Mindanao development agenda to ADB’s board and key national officers.

The presentation of the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) therein served as an avenue to inform the ADB about the current progress of the plan, and enjoining their support and ownership of the same.

The ADB Philippine office’s invitation for the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) to present the BDP manifests of its desire to expand the arena of strong engagement to continuously support the latter.

Apparently, ADB’s partnership with the BDA came into being since the inception of the BDP formulation, giving the latter’s sustained support on the infrastructure part and capacity enhancement as an indispensable means in the formulation of the strategic development plan for the Bangsamoro.

Among the key ADB officials who were in attendance during the meeting were country director Richard Bolt and senior country specialist Joven Balbosa.