Talisay backs DTI anti-poverty projects

CEBU, Philippines – Talisay City Council Committee on Finance and Ways and Means favorably endorsed a proposed memorandum of agreement between the city government and the Department of Trade and Industry  for priority poverty reduction projects under the Bottoms-Up-Budgeting.

Councilor Edward S. Alesna, who is the chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Budget Management and Ways and Means, said the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting project under the DTI involves the implementation of food packaging and labeling facilities.

In a proposed resolution, Alesna wants to authorize Mayor Johnny De los Reyes to enter into a MOA with DTI for the implementation of the project because the agency is identified as one of the participating agencies in the projects.

Alesna said the city is identified as one of the recipients with approved project that is included in the DTI's budget under GAA for the fiscal year 2014.

Data from the Department of Budget and Management has showed that DTI's 2015 budget for priority poverty reduction projects in Central Visayas is around P14.8 million.

In 2015, Cebu province's grassroots budget is P7.1 million.

Recently, the DTI handed Carcar City government the amount of P2.6 million allocation under the grassroots participatory budgeting process. The allocated money would be used to conduct capability building activities to Carcar makers of goods such as chicharon, ampao, banana chips, among others.

Other livelihood projects also include trainings on coco midrib and amakan weaving, product packaging and labeling and managing of shared service facilities.

Aside from Talisay, other cities and municipalities that are beneficiaries of the grassroots budgeting include Bantayan, Bogo, Compostela, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Sta. Fe, Tabogon, Alcantara, Alegria, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Minglanilla and Carcar.

Alesna said the city has technical capacity to implement the project and has no unliquidated cash advances from participating agencies based on existing auditing rules and regulations.