Assessing Mindanao’s development status must be based on accurate data, cultural sensitivity and an understanding of the region’s complexities, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Leo Tereso Magno said Monday.

Magno issued the statement following political analyst Richard Heydarian’s recent comparison of Mindanao’s development to that of Sub-Saharan Africa, drawing criticisms and angry reactions.

“Mindanao is home to 26 million Filipinos and spans over 102,021.92 square kilometers, making it a crucial pillar of national development,” Magno said.

Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said Mindanao devotes 1/3 of its land area to agriculture, it supplies over 40 percent of the country’s food requirements and contributes more than 30 percent to the national food trade.

Magno also noted that Mindanao’s Human Development Index (HDI) reached 0.68 in 2022, slightly below the national average of 0.71 but higher than the aggregate in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Over the past five years, every region in Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has shown consistent improvement in HDI, reflecting progress in health, education and economic opportunities, Magno said.

“These gains did not happen by chance. The passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and sustained peace-building efforts have paved the way for a more stable, self-reliant and empowered Mindanao,” the MinDA chief said.

Magno said Mindanao is vital to national economic resilience, with nearly 90 percent of its food production exported to other parts of the country.

“Mindanao is not a monolith of struggle. It is a land of opportunity, progress and unwavering hope,” he said, urging Filipinos, especially those with influential platforms, to base their assessments on facts rather than generalization

“Let us move forward together, as one nation, with fairness, context and empathy guiding our discourse,” he added. (PNA)