THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Northern Mindanao has identified nine priority projects to be established by the municipalities in the region this year.
On Thursday, January 18, the DILG presented a project menu which includes the nine priority projects such as: (1) Local Access Road, (2) Local Bridges, (3) Provision of Potable Water Supply, (4) Provision of Sanitary Toilet and Hygiene Facilities, (5) Small Water Impounding Project, (6) Evacuation Center, (7) Disaster Risk Reduction Rescue Equipment, (8) Rain Water Catchment Facility, and (9) Municipal Drug Rehabilitation Facility.
DILG Regional Director Arnel Agabe said the project menu is a guide for the municipalities in coming up with future projects that would be "complementary and supportive to the Philippine development plan" of the National Government.
"The beneficiaries are the people of the particular barangay [where the project will be established]. Para pud ni sa atoang mga kaigsoonan na (This is also for the people who were) victimized by using illegal drugs," Agabe said.
Agabe said although the 84 municipalities of Northern Mindanao have already submitted their priority list in compliance to the preparations done for the General Appropriations for 2018, they have to revisit and revise the list as the funding assistance provided for municipality projects had been reduced by 45 percent.
"It means to say we have to re-prioritize, they revisit katong una nila na (their first) submission and at the same time tan-awon pud nila ang ilang (they will look into their) local development instrument program... So atoa karon (for now), they should come up with a new list as to how they will be allocating sa katong (the) 55 percent na remaining amount for assistance to the municipalities," Agabe said.
The DILG regional director also encouraged the local government units to ensure the implementation of the projects, once identified, and to properly use the funding provided by the National Government.
"So the money, the financial assistance nga atoang ihatag sa ila (that we will give them) should be spent where it is intended because we will closely monitor everything especially that this National Government giving money to assist our LGU (local government unit)," Agabe said.
He added that the local officials will be held responsible for the performance and the financial accountability.
"Everything now is based on performance. So we would like to encourage our LGU (local government unit) to really perform," Agabe said. (With reports from Mary Ross Odchigue and Cyrill Garcia, USTP interns/SunStar CDO)