Blueprint for balanced progress: Public-private partnerships as the key to regional development

THE recent pronouncements by Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan signal a vital shift in perspective for the Philippine development landscape.

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By placing a renewed emphasis on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the critical role of Regional Development Councils (RDCs), the administration is acknowledging a fundamental truth: national economic growth cannot be sustained if it remains concentrated in metropolitan hubs. If the government is serious about translating macroeconomic victories into grassroots prosperity, fostering stronger collaboration with the private sector at the regional level is not just an option—it is an economic imperative. (Read the Business Mirror story: “To push regional growth, DepDev pushes more PPPs,” March 17, 2026).

For decades, the Philippine economic narrative has been dominated by the Metro Manila juggernaut. However, Secretary Balisacan’s recent remarks, highlighted during the 17th RDC-PSR National Convention, offer a roadmap for a more inclusive future. His focus on ensuring that national priorities “translate into concrete projects and investments in cities, provinces, and communities” is a welcome course correction. It recognizes that innovation and development are most meaningful not in spreadsheets in Manila boardrooms, but where they are “most directly felt—in our cities, provinces, and communities.”