Malacañang has appointed this city’s Mayor John Dalipe as the chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Zamboanga Peninsula, the highest planning and policymaking body in the region.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos signed Dalipe’s appointment on Oct. 21 to serve as RDC chair for the next three years.

“I am very honored to be appointed as the RDC chairperson,” Dalipe said Tuesday, as he thanked the President for the trust given him and vowed to work hard for the best interest of Zamboanga Peninsula.

Dalipe is the second Zamboangueño mayor to assume the RDC chairmanship with the late Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat being the first in the early 2000s.

Dalipe vied for the position along with three other local chief executives in the region including Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor Yu, Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co and Dapitan City Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos.

The RDC serves as the counterpart of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board at the subnational level.

The RDC is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region.

It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with regional and national development activities. (PNA)