The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region IX successfully played host during the recently concluded Regional Orientation on Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) Process in Planning and Budgeting for FY 2014 conducted on January 31, 2013 at Orchid Ballroom, Garden Orchid Hotel, Zamboanga City.

 

The one-day activity was jointly attended by Provincial and City Directors, Municipal Local Government Operations Officers (MLGOOs), BuB Regional and Provincial Focal Persons of DILG Regions XII and IX, respectively.

Present during the activity were Head Executive Assistant (HEA) Lilian Pimentel of the Office of DILG Undersecretary Francisco I. Fernandez, Director Jesusa “Jhecy” Rebete of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and DILG XII Regional Director Buagas B. Sulaik, among others.

In his welcome message during the opening program, DILG IX Regional Director                        Paisal O. Abutazil emphasized the roles of the field officers in ensuring the successful implementation of the BuB program at the local government units (LGUs). “As change agents in the LGUs, DILG through our field officers, have the responsibility of monitoring the programs under BuB,” RD Abutazil said.

In the course of the program, facilitators from NAPC and technical personnel of the Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD) took turns in presenting BuB issues and concerns presented in four (4) sessions, as follows: 1) Session 1: Looking Back: Summary Outcomes of the 2012 BuB 2) Session 2: BuB as a Strategy in Governance 3) Session 3: Guidelines for the BuB 2014 and 4) Session 4: Roles and Responsibilities of DILG.

In between sessions, field officers were afforded the chance to be clarified on issues and concerns during the open forum with the facilitators.

As an output of the regional orientation, participants crafted their respective implementation strategies and Regional Workplans for BuB 2014.

The activity formally closed with a message of DILG IX Assistant Regional Director Pedro G. Cuevas, Jr. who expressed optimism over the successful implementation of the BuB program with the support and cooperation of everyone involved.