Manila, April 23 -- A lawmaker on Wednesday recommended that Congress consider increasing budget allocations for Mindanao following a report that showed two of its regions trailing in economic growth.

In a statement, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez cited the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 2024 report, which showed that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Zamboanga Peninsula posted the country's slowest growth rates at 2.7 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.

Rodriguez suggested that a portion of the current budget's savings and realignable appropriations be directed to Mindanao to support regional development.

He noted that Mindanao has historically received a smaller share of national ...