The Vanguard Posted on July 5, 2026 at 7:15 am
The Regional Development Council’s recent approval of the 2025 Eastern Visayas Regional Development Report (RDR) is a welcome step toward transparency and accountability in the region’s pursuit of inclusive growth.
But a plan is only as good as its implementation.
The 2025 RDR is the third annual assessment of the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028, a framework that sets ambitious targets for the region’s six provinces: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte.
According to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Region 8, the report evaluates progress, highlights accomplishments and challenges, and recommends strategies to address gaps. It also monitors compliance with the national government’s directives and the implementation of flagship infrastructure projects.
The numbers on paper are promising. The region aims to hit economic growth of at least 7.5%, bring unemployment down to 5%, reduce poverty to 16.7%, and keep inflation to 2-4%. These are not abstract figures, they represent livelihoods, families, and communities that have long waited for development to reach their doorsteps.
But ambition alone does not build roads, create jobs, or lift families out of poverty. The real test lies in execution.
The report itself acknowledges implementation issues and unmet outcomes, which is a sign of honest assessment. Now, the challenge is turning those recommendations into decisive action.
The focus on the services sector is particularly promising. By promoting the creative and gig economy and upgrading the workforce, Eastern Visayas can tap into the evolving nature of work and create opportunities for its young, talented population.
But this requires investment in education, training, and digital infrastructure, none of which can be achieved without sustained political will and adequate funding.
The region’s strategic location as a link between the north and south of the country is an asset that must be leveraged. Improved infrastructure and connectivity could transform Eastern Visayas into a vital hub for trade and commerce, benefiting not just the region but the broader national economy.
The adoption of the 2025 RDR is a necessary first step. But the document must not gather dust on a shelf. It must guide the Regional Development Investment Program, inform budget decisions, and shape policy.
Achieving the region’s goals will require the collective effort of the national government, local governments, the private sector, and civil society.
The RDC has laid the groundwork. Now, it is time to deliver. The people of Eastern Visayas deserve nothing less than a future where progress is not just planned, but felt.
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