GenSan hosts Regional NAPC Seminar

by Ghian Karlo S. Belonio

Wow! Gensan. Another milestone for the advancement of our country has been set up last May 12-14, 2014 at Phela Grande Hotel of Gen. Santos City. The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) conducted its Second Round of Regional Assemblies on Harnessing Basic Sector/Civil Society Collectivity and Capacities on the Ground Seminar.

The participants of the said event were the different delegates all across South, Western, and Central Mindanao and General Santos City, with the latter as the host city. The core purpose of the three-day seminar is to promote People’s Participation in decision-making as amended by the 1987 Philippine Constitution Sections 15 and 16.

The participants were then divided into groups that would represent each of the 14 sectors currently existing in the society these days. These sectors are the Farmers and Landless Rural Workers (FLRW), Fisherfolk Indigenous People, Urban Poor, Workers in the Informal Sector (WIS), Formal Labor and Migrant Workers (FLMW), Women, Senior Citizens, Youth and Students, Children, Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s), Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s), Cooperatives, and the Victims of Disasters and Calamities (VDC).

On the first day, the agenda about the Bottom’s Up Budgeting (BUB) was spearheaded by Cathy Ocampo of the NAPC Central Office in Manila. “The reason why there is BUB is to give power back to the people – the Filipinos. BUB’s are made annually due to the jurisdictions of Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino’s platform of “Daang Matuwid.”

Together with BUB, some projects are also working to promote progress in our society.  These are the Grass Roots Participatory Budgeting (GRPB) and Budget ni Boss (BNB). BNB, GRPB, and BNB are sharing the same mission in their programs. Their missions are to (1) Institute institutional governance reforms through incentives; (2) Responsiveness of the National Government to the local needs; (3) Participation of all Filipino in planning and budgeting; (4) Empower citizens – organize, mobilize, unity from agenda.

Ocampo also stated the poverty incidence in our country, that almost half of our country’s population are considerably poor. That is why the national government is implementing programs to cease these problems. One of those is the Regional Poverty Reduction Action Team (RPRAT). RPRAT, together with the Local Government Units (LGU’s) are working side by side to solve the crisis in our society.

Ocampo also talked about the National Budget Memorandum 121 and the Joint Circular Memorandum (JCM). Under the JCM are 4 major streams in our government, these are the DILG, DSWD, DBM, and NAPC. The purpose of JMC is to regulate the continuation of R.A. No. 10352 (GAA FY 2013) or the projects enacted last year and the 2014 Appropriations under R.A. No. 10633 (GAA FY 2014). The scope of guidelines in the JCM selection includes the (1) Fund Release; (2) Project Validation; (3) Project Replacement.

BUB Projects made this year are only valid up until December 31, 2015 except the DOE Programs. On the second day, the focus was all subjected to the sectorial mapping and project application for the BUB 2-14. The sectorial mapping is primarily concerned about the updates of all projects and programs of BUB 2013. Some programs and organizations that were not able to pass the sectorial mapping are subjected to be marked off the list of the organizations and programs.

By afternoon until evening, the time was consumed greatly by the applications of new organizations with programs for its members. Representations of the applications of new organizations were strictly observed by all participants and NAPC facilitators. Due to the line time consumes by the representations, the scheduled solidarity night was suspended.

On the third and final day of seminar, discussions were continued by USEC, Erlinda Tulpio. Overall, the participants were guided and informed regarding anti-poverty projects and programs.