Local governments vowed to involve poor sectors in budgeting MEDIA RELEASE 30 June 2013 Local government units (LGUs) in Luzon, Visayas,Mindanao and Metro Manila participating in the Social Watch Philippines’ (SWP) United Democracy Fund (UNDEF) pledged to include the “left-behind” sectors --indigenous people, Moro, farmers, fishers and urban poor-- in local development councils and implement programs and budgets proposed by the marginalized groups. “We are very happy that local governments of the municipalities of Baao in Camarines Sur, Guimba in Nueva Ecija, Hinigaran in Negros Occidental, Dauin in Negros Oriental and Tulunan and Magpet in North Cotabato as well as Barangays 105 and 20 in Tondo and Barangays Pinyahan,Commonwealth and Central in Quezon City supported our partner marginalized groups’ efforts to constructively engage in the local budget process. Most of the Local Government Units (LGUs) integrated the people’s alternative budget proposals into their Annual Investment Plan for this year,”said former national treasurer and Social Watch Philippines (SWP) lead convenor Leonor Magtolis Briones. “We are very happy that farmers became active in budgeting. We hope that national government agencies can help us mobilize resources for the LGU to be able to cover all the proposed programs of the farmers,” said Vice Mayor Cherry Sapugay of Baao. “SWP’s intervention added to the education and skills of the Moro communities. Some of the alternative budget proposals they crafted were funded through the local funds and some were funded through Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB),” said Tulunan Budget Officer Engineer Arly Landingin.“It is a challenge for our LGU to mobilize more resources so that we may be able to support all of their alternative budget proposals,” she added. “The Municipal Mayor of Hinigaran showed his support to this project by giving P150 thousand funds for livelihood programs for farmers. The Congressman also showed his support and gave P250 thousand for the training of people’s organizations,” said Sangguniang Bayan member Judy Gepulle. “By July 2013, the Municipal Mayor will convene the Municipal Development Council. This time, the marginalized sectors, especially the small fishers, will be given the chance to be part of the Council,” she added. “This is the first time that indigenous people,farmers and women’s groups became active in planning and budgeting in Magpet,”said Datu Antonio Takinan. “We used to feel that the Municipal Development Council is very exclusive to the barangay captains and the accredited NGOs; and NGOs feel excluded when it comes to budget hearings and other stages of the budget process. Now, we have a local ordinance to allow CSOs to propose budgets to the LGU before the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) is created,” said Councilor Dante Bismonte of Baao. “The lapses in the application of democratic principles in the area of budgeting and public finance contribute to the rapidly increasing inequality and poverty that has been continuously worsening since 2003 despite uninterrupted growth since 2001,” said Briones. “There should be people’s participation right from the budget preparation stage to monitoring because budget utilization involving the citizens will ensure that the grassroots are not deprived of their basic human rights and that the benefits of growth and democracy reach the poor,” she added. SWP mobilizes poverty-sector groups in various municipalities and barangays around the country for its program on“Institutionalizing Marginalized Communities’ Participation in the Philippine Budget Process” through the support of UNDEF. “This project is all about addressing inclusion of ordinary citizens in one sacred territory of governance– public finance. Ordinary citizens should be involved in decision-making on how public funds are being utilized. The message is to include everyone, nobody should be left behind,” explained SWP co-convenor Isagani Serrano.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 04:44:04 +0000
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