The Regional Development Council (RDC-7) Chair Gov. Edgar M. Chatto spearheaded the budget dialogue of the Priority Programs, Activities and Projects (PAPs) of regional line agencies, state universities and colleges conducted last Friday in Mandaue City.
Facilitated by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-7) with Regional Director Efren Carreon, discussions left no stone unturned when each regional directors, heads of office or a duly authorized representative presented their agency’s plans for calendar year 2016.
Reports were divided into four sectors, namely: the development administration, social, economic, and the infrastructure.
First to present was the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) which pleased Gov. Chatto and made him proud after the spokesperson admitted that he is a true-blooded Boholano from Maribojoc.
The BFP zeroed in on the much-needed repair and improvement of its fire stations in Loay, Talibon and Ubay; the establishment of fire stations in San Miguel, Danao, Dagohoy, Sagbayan and Sierra-Bullones; and the repair of its fire trucks in the City of Tagbilaran, Panglao, Jagna and Loay.
It was noted that the acquisition of fire trucks for the BFP is the task of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as its umbrella office.
DILG’s plans basically focused on five “outcomes” which divided into: accountable, transparent, participative and effective local governance; environment-protective, climate change-adaptive, and disaster-resilient local government units (LGUs); socially-protective and safe LGUs; business-friendly and competitive LGUs; and strengthened internal organizational capacity.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA’s) PAPs for Bohol include: Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP); Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA); TESDA Specialista Technopreneurship Program and Expansion of Multi-purpose buildings for TESDA Balilihan Training Center with the corresponding MOOE of 450,000 for plantilla positions of TESD Specialist II as trainers to capacitate it to deliver higher-technology-TESD courses.
Other programs were the Modernization and upgrading of training equipment/machineries/tools for higher technology-TESD courses for the 12 training centers; Expansion of TESDA Bohol Provincial Office; of which are all summed up to a total of P46.47M.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) PAPs for Bohol, totaling about P72.328M, has these projects for the province: the Special Employment for Students (SPES); Tupad-tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers; DOLE Kabuhayan; Child Labor Program (KASAMA); and the Workers’ Organization and Development Program Issuances and Scholarship.
Dr. Elpidio Magante of the Bohol Island State University (BISU), who personally attended the dialogue presented the following: the construction of its Technology Building at Bingag Extension Campus (Phase 2) at BISU Main Campus in Tagbilraran; construction of an 8-classroom and Science laboratory building at BISU Balilihan Campus; construction of its Fisheries and Marine Science Laboratory building at BISU Candijay Campus; construction of its student laboratory at BISU Bilar Campus; construction of a 2-storey Midwifery building and the construction of an Audio Visual Hall at BISU Calape Campus; and the construction of an 8-classroom building at BISU Clarin Campus.
On the part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), they presented their 2016 strategic goals to include: raise the status of all Pantawid Pamilya families with improved level of well-being by 2016; increase the number of NHTSPR-identified poor families covered by at least two SWD programs/services from 180,454 to 314,654 by 2016; and increase the number of provinces with majority of their cities/municipalities having a fully-functional LSWDO to 4 provinces by 2016.
For the Department of Agriculture (DA), the agency has a total budget of P189.98M for Bohol to be spent for its technical support services; irrigation network services; agriculture and fishery machinery, equipment and facilities support services; and plant and animal regulation services.
According to RD Freddie Bernal of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Bohol has a total budget of P53.6M basically for the administration of its various scholarship programs like the assistance for full merit and half merit grantees, assistance for Tulong Dunong grantees, assistance for Congressional District students, and the assistance for the Study Now-Pay Later grantees.
Before wrapping up, Cong. Raul del Mar of Cebu’s First District thanked all the agencies for their “exemplary performance” for “you make our jobs easier in our districts; so we’re always ready for you, officially and personally.”
Del Mar also thanked Gov. Chatto for “we can have no better Chairman than the incumbent RDC Chair, the best Governor in his Province.”
RD Carreon informed everyone to be present next Friday, March 20, for RDC’S full council meeting at Montebello Hotel; and those concerned to be at the RDC Agency Central Office Dialogue in Manila between March 26 and April 1.
He also reiterated his earlier statement of everyone’s opportunity to work for higher resources for Central Visayas.
” This is a very good opportunity for RDC members to articulate to the Agency Central Office, to the Department Heads or the USECs who will be attending the dialogue for us to push for the projects we’re backing for Central Visayas, some of which are over and above the regular proposals we’ve been submitting. So let’s work together so that more resources will come to us from the national government and from other sources as well,” said Carreon. (JLV/PGBh/EDCom)