BuB projects in Sagada hit; bocaps air grievances

Double-funding, corruption issues surface 

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA Mountain Province – Implementers of projects under the government’s Bottom up Budgeting (BuB) were assailed by barangays officials saying they were not consulted as provided by law, even as allegations of double-funding of projects and corruption surfaced 

A recent gathering of barangay chairmen here said identification and prioritization of BuB projects under the national government was supposed to complemented by the National Anti-Poverty Commission in cooperation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The BuB is anchored on poverty alleviation. The  role of civil  society organizations and government on identifying development  projects of  their respective communities makes the  BuB scheme work  through  Local Poverty Reduction Alleviation Teams  (LPRATs)  to identify and prioritize projects and programs, sources said.

While this is the intention, barangay officials on different occasions here said they were unaware and uninformed of these projects identified and implemented in their territorial jurisdictions.

The BUB process ensures funding for development needs of localities in budget proposals of participating national government agencies and the process of project identification involves representatives from the government and CSOs.

BUB-listed projects are financed by various agencies. Roads, pathways and waterworks   are financed by the  Department of Interior and Local Government,  school-based  projects by the Department of  Education,  skills trainings by the  Technical  Skills  Development  Authority,    communal  irrigation systems by   Department of Agriculture,  tourism-related  projects by  Department of Tourism and micro enterprise projects by the Department of  Social Welfare and Development.

The process intends to provide funding for projects to provide basic social services, mitigate hunger, generate jobs, and disaster preparedness.

The question of barangay officials remain on their role in the identification of the very projects that affect their communities.

The Local Government Code states, “it is declared the policy of the State that the territorial and political subdivisions of the State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of national goals. Toward this end, the State shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization whereby local government units shall be given more powers, authority, responsibilities, and resources”.

With the BuB process having left out barangay LGUs, the very principle of local autonomy and decentralization resulted to confusion and isolation of a basic structure in government mandated to look at their very own constituents and services their barangay needs, barangay officials here said.

Much as barangay LGUs conduct their respective barangay assemblies, identify their   issues and determine their respective needs and how to address these, the very identification of the LPRAT without their involvement comes as a disturbing occurrence if not a surprising shock to barangay local governance. 

Dagdag barangay officials as example, were surprised at a P1 million peso drainage system project to be implemented in their barangay and questioned where the location of the drainage project was and how it was identified as priority project.

They were also unaware of a P900, 000 waterworks project identified and projected for their community.

This was the case with other BuB projects. They said one farm to market road project in Dagdag was transferred to another project by the municipal government because the owner of the lot was not in favor of opening his land to a farm to market road. 

In a resolution, the Dagdag Sanggunian forwarded their call for their involvement in identification of BuB projects and programs located in their  territory much as the very data needed in addressing poverty were found in barangay LGUs.

They said non-involvement of barangay LGUs in planning, identification and prioritization of projects breeds corruption,.   

Allegations of double-funded projects were also brought out.  Ato-Engan farm to market road here in  barangayPoblacion  continues to be  questioned which  has reached the  central office of the National Alleviation Poverty Commission – Department of  Interior and Local Government,  focal person for Mountain Province Lynn Madalang  said.

Ato –Engan FMR was listed among BuB projects with  project cost of  P350,000 for 2013 and an additional P1.3 million in 2014  expediting  additional funds for the already budgeted cost  from Cordillera Highland Agricultural Management  Project (CHARMP) and a P3.5 million from  a realigned Pamana fund specially meant for  Tanulong-Madongo FMR thus  leading petitioners to  question where the BuB funds are implemented  and where the CHARMP and Pamana funds are implemented on the same stretch of Ato-Engan FMR.

A recent  petition which reached  DILG  concerning  a P1.3 million FMR in southern Sagada traced from a  BuB scheme for 2014  demanded  that  release of payment be stopped  for  said FMR already completed  pending demands by the affected lot owner  for LGU to  implement earlier  agreements 'promised'  by the LGU and contractor. One agreement was construction of retaining wall to prevent her farm from incurring landslide in exchange for construction of said  farm to market road on her lot. 

The lot owner in an interview wanted the intervention of the barangay LGU to give support on her case the lot being located in the barangay LGU’s very own territory.