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.
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