The RDC shall be jointly headed by a Chairman and Co-Chairman appointed by the President. The NEDA Regional Director shall be the ex-officio Vice-Chairman of the RDC. The NEDA Assistant Regional Director shall be the Secretary of the RDC.

RDC CHAIRPERSON

The Chairman shall have the following functions, powers and responsibilities:

• Preside over the meetings of the Council, the Executive and the Advisory Committees
• Request any agency, individual member of the Council, sectoral committee or affiliate committee to perform other functions as the Council may deem necessary, provided that such functions are within the mandates of said office;
• Accept, after RDC resolution authorizing him to do so, in behalf of the Council, donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts in cash or in kind from RDC members, foreign governments, international offices, private entities, or any individual for purposes relevant to the regional development and submit for approval of the Council a program for its utilization;
• Call the attention of implementing agencies and local government units to implementation problems as identified and deliberated upon by the Council with the end in view of instituting corrective measures;
• Supervise the monitoring of the implementation of major inter-provincial and regionwide development programs, projects and activities;
• When called upon, represent the region in the Cabinet meetings and other activities at the national level;
• Direct the formulation of a comprehensive regional development plan and preparation of a system of investment programming priorities for the region;
• Submit to the President through the NEDA Board regional plans, regional investment programs, annual development reports and other documents on the region as approved by the Council;
• Review, revise and approve all policy recommendations, plans, programs, and projects originating from the Technical Staff before submission to the Council;
• Direct and supervise all activities of the Council; and
• Perform other functions and duties as may be directed by the President.

RDC CO-CHAIPERSON

The Regional Director of the Regional Office of the NEDA Secretariat shall be the Vice Chairman of the Council. His functions shall be as follows:

• Preside over the Council and Executive Committee meetings in the absence of the Chairman and Co-Chairman or the duly designated temporary Chairman;
• Act on matters requiring immediate decision of the Chairman or Co-Chairman in the absence of a duly designated temporary Chairman;
• Perform the day-to-day operations of the Council, in case the position of both the Chairman and the Co-Chairman becomes vacant through resignation, reassignment, removal from office, death and permanent disability, until a new Chairman or Co-Chairman.
• Manage the provision of technical and administrative support to the Council and its Committees;
• Perform other duties which may be assigned to him by the Chairman or Co-Chairman.

RDC SECRETARY

The Assistant Regional Director of the regional office of the NEDA Secretariat, or a Division Chief duly designated as Senior Staff-In-Charge of the Office of the Assistant-Regional Director, shall act as the Secretary of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee. The Secretary shall have the following functions:

• Coordinate the preparation of the agenda of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee meetings;
• Keep a complete record of all the proceedings of the sessions of the Council the Executive Committee and Advisory Committee meetings;
• Certify to the veracity of all official records and documents of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee and the Chairman’s signature;
• Keep custody of records of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee;
• Prepare and/ or review all draft Council resolutions; and
• Perform such other functions as may be assigned.

 REGULAR MEMBERS

The RDC IX is composed of the following members:

1. The governors of Zambonga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay;
2. The city mayors Dapitan, Dipolog, Isabela, Pagadian and Zamboanga;
3. The mayor of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay;
4. The presidents of the provincial league of mayors of Zamboanga Peninsula;
5. Private sector representatives (PSRs) who shall comprise one-fourth of the members of the fully-constituted council.
6. The regional directors of agencies represented in the National Economic and Development Authority Board (NEDA, DAR, DA, DBM, DENR, DOF-BLGF, DOH, DILG, DOLE, DPWH, DOST, DTI, DOTr, BSP) and the regional directors of DepEd, DWSD, DOT, PMS, TESDA, CHED, DFA, HUDCC, and RMC, provided that each agency shall be represented by only one regional director.

SPECIAL MEMBERS

The RDC, subject to the concurrence of majority of its regular members, may designate special non-voting members of the council.

TERM OF OFFICE

The Chairman, Co-Chairman and the private sector representatives shall serve in the Council for a fixed term of three years coinciding with the regular term of local elective officials. This prescribed term of office is without prejudice to reappointment.

The Regional Office of the NEDA Secretariat shall serve as the principal technical staff and secretariat of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee. In addition, the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee, may require its members to provide such technical and other support as may be required for the effective discharge of duties of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee. The technical staff of the Council, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee shall have the following functions:

• Provide technical and administrative support to the Council and its Committees;
• Upon request, provide technical assistance on planning to local governments and other government agencies in the region;
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive management information system;
• Develop a comprehensive program for capability-building for local government officials and personnel as well as other members including NGO members of the Council in the areas of regional, local and town planning, project development; investment programming; monitoring and evaluation; policy coordination; and other areas of interest which are crucial or current to the activities of the Council; and
• Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or as may be assigned by the Chairman.

The NEDA Regional Director, as head of the RDC Secretariat, shall manage the technical, administrative and financial operations of the Council and shall be accountable for the funds and properties of the RDC.

RDC shall create an Advisory Committee to advise, assist and support the Council in discharging its functions.

COMPOSITION

• Congressional representatives of the region who have signified their intention to join; and
• The members of the RDC IX Executive Committee

OFFICERS

The Chairman, the Co-Chairman, the Vice Chairman and the Secretary of the RDC shall also serve as the ex-officio Chairman, Co-Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Advisory Committee.

FUNCTIONS

The following are its specific functions:

• Advise in the preparation of the Regional Development Plan and the Regional Development Investment Programs and support their implementation;
• Advise agency regional offices, state colleges and universities and special development authorities in the preparation of their annual budgets; and
• Advise and support policy recommendations that need legislation and/ or action of the President or the Cabinet.

DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE (DevAdCom)

Development Administration, Public Finance, Macro-Regional Plans and Policies, National and Regional Income Accounts, Peace and Public Safety

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (EDCom)

Agriculture and Fishery, Agrarian Reform, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Cooperative Development, Credit and Finance, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Tourism Development, Research Development

REGIONAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (RSDC)

Education and Manpower Development, Health, Nutrition and Responsible Parenthood, Social and Labor Welfare, Gender, Poverty alleviation and Housing Development

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (InfraCom)

Transportation, Communication, Water Resources, Energy, Social Related Infrastructure

REGIONAL PROJECT MONITORING COMMITTEE (RPMC)

The project monitoring arm of the RDC

OTHER COMMITTEES

• Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC)
• Regional Statistical Committee (RSC)
• Regional Incentives and Awards Committee (RIAC)
• Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC)