The Regional Convergence Initiative-Technical Working Group (RCI-TWG) in Central Luzon is working to complete the MaCaBaT Convergence Area Development Plan (CADP) by December 2026 to guide the coordinated implementation of government programs and projects in priority areas.
The RCI-TWG, composed of representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), met on Sept. 22 at the DENR Social Hall in the DMGC, Barangay Maimpis, to discuss updates and next steps for the development plan.
The meeting included presentations of the draft CADPs for Mayantoc, Capas, Bamban and Tarlac City, as well as an update from the DENR on the DENR-FMB-FAO GEF 6 Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) Project.
Based on the discussions, the CADPs for Capas and Bamban are about 80 percent complete, while the Tarlac City CADP is at 50 percent. For Mayantoc, additional and updated data are still needed to facilitate the CAP profile analysis. The DENR, DAR and DILG are expected to provide additional information for the town’s CADP.
For the provincial-level CADP, the group agreed to finalize and update the necessary data through the Provincial Convergence Initiative-Technical Working Group (PCI-TWG), including provincial data from the San Jose, Tarlac CADP, which also requires updating.
The RCI-TWG also emphasized the need to identify focal persons from each participating agency for the municipal convergence areas. Additional meetings of the Municipal Convergence Initiative-Technical Working Groups (MCI-TWGs) will likewise be conducted to complete the required data and draft CADPs.
Meanwhile, the DENR provided updates on the FMB-FAO GEF 6 FLR Project, which focuses on strengthening inter-agency coordination in project sites in Pantabangan and Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.
Among the recommended measures are the establishment of PCI-TWG at the provincial level and MCI-TWGs for Pantabangan and Carranglan. The two areas are also being considered for convergence area designation in 2027 following the endorsement of the MaCaBaT CADP.
The final MaCaBaT CADP is targeted for completion by December 2026 and is expected to serve as a framework for closer coordination among partner agencies and local government units in implementing development programs and projects in Mayantoc, Capas, Bamban and Tarlac City.
