CALAMBA CITY (PIA) — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will appoint the next chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Calabarzon from seven nominees composed of three government executives and four representatives from the private sector.
Governors Angelina Tan and Nina Ricci Ynares of Quezon and Rizal province respectively and Bacoor City Mayor Strike Revilla were named nominees from the government sector during the RDC’s third quarter full council meeting on September 4.
For selection as co-chairperson from the private sector were Engr. Ladislao Andal, Ronaldo Alvaira, Emerson Atanacio, and Richard Albert Osmond.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) in Calabarzon said the nominees demonstrated their strong commitment in championing the region’s development agenda in economic, infrastructure, governance, and peace and order.
“They are expected to play a vital role in leading the discussions of programs, projects, and policies that will promote socio-economic development in CALABARZON,” DepDev said in a Facebook post.
The new RDC chair will take the place of former Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, whose term as RDC chair ended in June 2025 when he assumed the post as Batangas Vice Governor.
Pursuant to Executive Order no. 82 on strengthening the RDCs and accelerating socio-economic developments in all regions, each RDC shall be jointly headed by a Chairperson and a Co-Chairperson to be appointed by the President from among the local chief executives and private sector representatives (PSR) members.
Under the EO, if the Chairperson is from the government sector, the Co-Chairperson shall be selected from the private sector, and vice-versa. The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson shall serve in the RDC for a fixed term of three years coinciding with the regular term of local elective officials. They shall serve a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Angelina “Doktora Helen” Tan, who represented Quezon Province’s Fourth District from 2013 to 2022, was widely known for her efforts to reform the public health sector. Tan’s tenure as governor is encapsulated in her HEALING Agenda, which focuses on key sectors including health, education, agriculture, livelihood, infrastructure, environment, tourism, and good governance.
Elected in 2022, Nina Ricci Ynares has championed environmental initiatives in Rizal province. Her leadership oversaw the relief efforts during typhoon Enteng and Habagat. As home to several Indigenous People (IP) communities, her administration is also focusing on long-term community development, empowerment, and education reforms.
Mayor Strike Revilla is leading Bacoor City’s ‘Smart City’ initiative, which promotes sustainable urban development in collaboration with national government agencies and neighboring Asian countries. As the former representative of Cavite’s second district, Revilla pushed for legislatures on improved elderly care and the enhancement of occupational safety and health standards.
The CALABARZON RDC also solicited nominees from the private sector which has been a strong partner in the region’s economic development initiatives.
Licensed civil engineer Ladislao Andal has been a longtime member of the RDC as chairperson of its Sectoral Committee on Infrastructure Development, which oversees the implementation of national infrastructure projects in the region.
Andal is also a member of Batangas State University’s Board of Regents and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.
Emerson Atanacio of Cavite Technical Vocational Educators Association Inc. was the chairperson of the CALABARZON RDC’s Special Committee on Strengthening Academe and Industry Linkages, and pushed to address issues on job-skills mismatch and other potential issues related to ASEAN integration.
Richard Albert Osmond, Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Industrial Estate Administration, Inc. has been an active member of the CALABARZON RDC and a keen supporter to the country’s shift to clean energy and modernizing industries to create high-quality jobs.
Also endorsed as nominees were Ronaldo Alvaira and Emerson Atanacio.
Formalized in 1996 as Executive Order No. 325, Regional Development Councils are composed of local government officials, regional line agencies, and representatives of non-government organizations in a bid to decentralize government functions and accelerate socioeconomic development in the regions.
With the help of the private sectors and NGOs, RDCs ensures that economic policies at the local and regional level are coordinated and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ambisyon 2040– a long-term vision of the national government towards a prosperous, innovative, and high-trust society. (PB-PIA4A)