The Commission on Population and Development - Region XII (POPCOM XII) turned over Surallah’s Ecological Profile (EP) books to the Municipality of Surallah, Province of South Cotabato last December 21, 2021. POPCOM XII Regional Director Edwin Mateo P. Quijano, assisted by Information Officer (IO) III Alvin Dwight Asentista and Project Evaluation Officer (PEO) II Carlito Tolog, personally handed over the SEP books to Mayor Antonio O. Bendita, together with the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) Joyce A. Lubaton. Present were the Provincial Population Officer of South Cotabato, Ms. Zenaida A. Duron and her staff Tristan Navos and Vanessa Pamplona.

The development of Surallah’s EP book was part of the Population and Development (POPDEV) coaching and mentoring program of POPCOM XII. POPCOM XII managed to publish the SEP and EP books despite the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The EP book contains reliable, truthful, necessary and updated information regarding the municipality’s socio-economic profile. Surallah is one of the two municipalities that POPCOM XII coached and mentored from 2019 to 2020. The other recipient is the municipality of Magpet. Last April 22, 2021, POPCOM XII also turned over Magpet’s SEP Book to the Municipality of Magpet.

“We greatly appreciate the two municipalities Magpet and Surallah for accepting the coaching and mentoring activity of the region. The planning team of these two municipalities has undergone the series of workshops and meetings to enhance the socio-economic profile or Ecological Profile and situational analysis of their municipaliy. We hope that this book will help the municipalities in updating and enhancing their development plans and programs.” said RD Edwin Quijano.

“As we have been entrusted to hold the reins of our local government, the administration will ensure that the data in this Ecological Profile will be utilized to craft and implement responsive plans and programs in order to overcome the issues and concerns of our locality and maintain the momentum of our progress and development.” said Mayor Antonio Bendita.

As a population management strategy, POPDEV integration is defined as the explicit consideration and integration of population dynamics and dimensions in the critical steps of any development initiative, such as plan and program development, policy formulation, database management and utilization, and other efforts that aim to improve, in a sustainable manner, the development conditions of the people and the locality in which they live.

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