DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman led the launching of the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting (SAFPB) project of the DBM in Cebu City on February 21, 2024.
This will give 75 municipalities access to safely managed and resilient water supply and sanitation services.
Beneficiaries include five local government units (LGUs) in Quezon Province; four in Bohol; and four in Lanao del Norte, among others.
A total of P1 billion has been allocated for this project which will be released under the Local Government Support Fund-SAFPB.
Pangandaman said that the project is also unique as it will use participatory budgeting.
This means that not only government officials but also Civil Society Organizations will have a say in the identification, implementation, and monitoring of the projects. This is in line with the DBM's commitment to promoting open government in the country.
The launch was in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Also present at the event were DILG Secretary Atty. Benjamin C. Abalos Jr. and DILG Undersecretaries Marlo L. Iringan and Atty. Odilon L. Pasaraba; Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Dr. Carlos Primo C. David; and National Economic and Development Authority Assistant Secretary Roderick M. Planta. (PR)