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CAMSUR CAPITOL_AWARD V3
Life

Crises and Regional Development: A Position and Approach

Posted by Salvador Orara on May 8, 2026

According to expert opinion, a positive way of dealing with interruptions and breakdowns in the pathways of modernization that arise through crises such as pandemics, fiscal crashes and environmental imbalances, is through an expansion of economic and social activities.1 This also presents the opportunity to ‘build back better’ than to ‘build back to normal’. To do this most effectively requires two sustained perspectives: 1. Local views based on circumstances and competitive advantages rather than a priori templates, and 2. Devising actions and policies within the framework of circular economic and material flows among the four primary activities of human endeavor, namely work-live, transport-communication, nourishment and cleaning.

For regional development in places like Camarines Sur and Northern Negros Occidental in the Philippines, as elsewhere, at least six topical areas of action emerge. The first is recovery and increases in the productivity of key industrial developments. The second is the creation and nurturing of a diversified range of related activities, including mechanical and logistical support. The third is development and maintenance of clean infrastructure related to the needs of all activities including living and working. The fourth is emphasis on improving chronic under-provision in areas of community service like education, health and welfare. The fifth is natural capital investment to preserve, conserve and enhance local ecosystems, environmental amenities and biodiversity. The sixth is adequate and well-targeted investment in research and development across all fields of endeavor and particularly related to the main economic and productive drivers.

  1. Key Industrial Developments.
    • Primary Agro-industries.
    • Secondary Agro-industries, crop shifting and cross-cultivation.
  2. Related and Other Industrial Developments.
    • Tourism – scenic, cultural and agro-tourism.
    • Outdoor Recreation – hiking, biking, surfing, etc.
    • Industrial Support – workshops, fabrication and assembly.
    • Resource Supply – fuels, chemicals, seeds, equipment.
    • Building Trades – contractors, artisans and mechanics.
    • Service Industries – offices, personal services, governance (multiplier effects).
  3. Clean Infrastructure.
    • Household Level- solar, alternative energy, utilities.
    • Municipal Level – water, sewage, solid waste, energy provision.
    • Regional Level – roads, airports, ports, etc.
  4. Community Services.
    • Health – clinics, hospitals, emergency services, other facilities.
    • Education – kindergarten-tertiary levels, technical training and facilities.
    • Welfare – recreational facilities, sports facilities.
  5. Natural Capital Investment.
    • Preservation – fragile ecosystems, biodiversity, scenic value, protection and management.
    • Conservation – management areas, standards, techniques.
    • Enhancement – public access, attraction, facilities.
  6. Research and Development.
    • Area Identification.
    • Educational Support – programs, facilities.
    • Research Support – labs, programs, research stations, facilities.

Within these topical areas, circular economic and material flows that are mutually supportive, synergistic and enduring are to be developed and favored.2 For instance, green-house-gas emissions are to be reduced or eliminated wherever possible in the choice of fabrication materials, techniques and feedstocks. The same goes for all non-renewable resources. Spatial distributions are to be generally non-sequestering, diverse and focused on shared experience along with equal access to opportunity. For instance, the spatial access to health and educational opportunities for those concerned is to be equal wherever possible and in non-limiting ways. Spatial distribution of settlement and activity within regions is to be based on small, medium and larger community aggregations without scale penalties and to avoid unnecessary centralization.

  1. Hepburn, Cameron; Brian O’Callaghan; Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis. 2020. ‘Will COVID-19 Fiscal Recovery Packages Accelerate or Retard Progress on Climate Change’. Oxford Review of Economic Policy. 36 (S1).
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  2. Baccini, Peter and Paul H. Brunner.2012. Metabolism of the Anthroposphere: analysis, Evaluation and Design. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press. ↩︎