Philippine lawmakers reconcile bills to create DEPDev

Philippine lawmakers reconciled differences between House Bill No. 11199 and Senate Bill No. 2878 during a bicameral conference committee meeting on Wednesday, aiming to reorganize the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) into a new Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri stated that the joint panel's discussions were 'quick and productive,' with lawmakers from both chambers looking forward to swift passage of the measure.

The bill aims to empower DEPDev on par with other departments by aligning policies, plans, programs, and projects across national, subnational, sectoral, and spatial levels, strengthening Regional Development Councils' roles.

Key provisions in the bill include institutionalizing regional development councils and subcommittees for inflation monitoring, underscoring the need for 'futures thinking' to prepare for long-term economic scenarios.

The proposed legislation will address issues such as inconsistency of public policies, alignment between national and regional plans and policies, and increase the capacity of national and regional agencies on planning and policymaking.