To fund local farmers, Grassroots budgeting allots P15M per LGU

CEBU, Philippines - Local farmers of municipalities can tell their needs in the farming business to the government through the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting.

GPB was formerly known as Bottom-up Budgeting initiated by Budget Secretary Butch Abad last year to allow local government units identify the needs of their people.

Dr. Fabio Enriquez of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas said civil society groups and local basic organizations can talk with local governments on local growth planning and budgeting.

"Ang mga project proposals gikan gyod sa mga municipalities or the LGUs," explained Enriquez, who is the agency's BUB coordinator and chief of the Operations Division.

The official told The FREEMAN farmers and other agricultural growers must be given the opportunity to tell the projects needed in the farming sector.

The GPB allocates every LGU a P15 million worth of projects that the national government would fund.

This also aims to involve LGUs in the program implementation.

"Some of these projects are categorized as livelihood. This means, naay engage in rice farming, corn farming or vegetable farming," he said.

With the approval of Department of Budget and Management, the DA official said these projects would be included in the proposed budgets of certain agencies.

Crafting policies

The DA has also urged the farmers to give inputs in crafting policies for the agriculture industry.

Enriquez, who is also DA-7's rice program focal, the first hand ideas from agricultural growers would help the department make efficient policies for the agro-fishery sector. 

The Agriculture Department has said the agricultural policy programs are being updated to become competitive with the imminent economic integration of Asean next year. — (FREEMAN)