ANTIQUE, Philippines – The Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB) Program is still a priority of this administration and will focus its implementation at the Barangay Level.
DILG 6 Regional Director Atty. Anthony Nuyda said that Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno has approved the continuation of the BUB program but will be focused on barangay level implementation.
“With this, we will concentrate our planning for Barangay BUB in 2017,” said Nuyda in an Advocacy Forum dubbed as “Hinun-anun” spearheaded by DILG in Antique on July 13.
Even without the BUB later on, what matters most is the process of grassroots participation in terms of planning and budgeting, he said.
The forum tackled the current state of BUB implementation in Antique taking into consideration the participation of Civil Society Organizations, mechanism of the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team and sharing of gains and best practices.
Provincial Director Victorio Pagapulan in a press conference before the forum said the BUB has brought a big help to local government units which have availed of at least P15M for every Municipal Government in the province to fund the projects identified by the people through the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team.
Aside from the funding support, BUB has also strengthen people’s participation in governance since the projects identified are coming from the communities defying the old practice of implementing the projects initiated by the national government.
The BUB, Pagapulan said has given people the opportunity to identify, implement and monitor the projects according to their needs.
Isabel Blancia of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) a member of the oversight committee on BUB implementation said there might be difficulties in the LGUs compliance to auditing rules and regulations that could delay the implementation of the project however, this will serve as safeguard mechanism to ensure the fund is utilized properly.
DILG is counting on the support of the media to help in the dissemination of the BUB programs especially at the community level to further promote people participation in governance.
BUB still a priority
