The Philippines has maintained its lead in the Southeast Asian region on the Public Participation indicator of the 2021 Open Budget Survey (OBS) conducted by the International Budget Partnership. The results of the survey were presented today, 01 December 2022, at the De La Salle University, Manila.

The OBS measures three important criteria related to good governance and accountability, such as transparency, which assesses public access to budget information; formal opportunities for public participation in the budget process; and the role of budget oversight institutions in the budget process.

In her message, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman expressed enthusiasm over the country’s performance in the survey while stressing the importance of open government and its advantages to the society.

“In all previous budget engagements, in all the reforms the DBM has initiated, and in all fiscal policies formulated, we have always underscored the importance of having an open budget system — one that is transparent, fosters public participation, and has adequate budget oversight from the legislative and audit institutions,” Secretary Pangandaman said.
In the 2021 OBS report earlier released on 31 May 2022, the Philippines scored 35 points out of 100 in terms of the formal opportunities offered to the public for meaningful participation in the different stages of the budget process. This is significantly higher than the global average of 14 points.

Meanwhile, garnering a score of 68 points out of 100, the country ranked 19th out of 120 countries on the Transparency indicator which measures public access to information on how the central government raises and spends public resources.

Among the key budget documents made available to the public by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the People’s Budget – a simpler and less technical version of the government’s proposed and enacted budget designed to convey key information to the public – got the highest score of 92.

The country also aced the Budget Oversight indicator by securing 74 points. The said indicator looks into the role that legislatures and supreme audit institutions (SAIs) play in the budget process and the extent to which they provide oversight.

Sec. Pangandaman, in her speech, likewise affirmed the current administration’s efforts to continue, and even improve the programs and initiatives of government to promote transparency, as well as open and participatory government.

“We hope to fast-track our initiatives to digitize government processes and transactions through the implementation of the Integrated Financial Management Information System, as well as the enactment of the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Bill or the PBBM Bill, which shall institutionalize the Cash Budgeting System… Furthermore, we will take the recommendations of the OBS to heart, and study the feasibility of introducing these in our processes,” Secretary Pangandaman expressed.
For his part, DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo echoed Secretary Pangandaman’s commitment and laid out vital projects of the DBM that aim to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.

“Through her leadership, the DBM is championing for budget transparency through government digitalization including institutionalization of budget reforms and digitalization of our public financial management (PFM). The Budget Chief underscored that by investing in digital infrastructure, the government can improve its revenue collection which will ultimately promote efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the use of public funds,” Assistant Secretary Toledo stated.

Despite the setbacks brought about by the pandemic, the DBM remained steadfast with its commitment to make budget information transparent and available to every Filipino.(PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the city government of Borongan and the Philippine Airline (PAL) on Nov.29 to officially start for the airline company its operations in Eastern Samar province.

The opening of its operations in Borongan means that the national flag carrier is now operating in the entire Samar Island.

At present, PAL also offers air flights in Samar province through its Calbayog Airport and Northern Samar through Catarman Airport.

PAL president and chief operations officer Capt. Stanley Ng, who PAL executives in the evet, said that with their operations in Eastern Samar, which is to start on December 19, they are one with the people and its officials to ‘connect’ the province to the rest of the country and the world.

He also said they are optimistic that with the new flight, the airline company could help the province to attract more tourists and even investors.

Starting on Dec. 19, PAL will operate its Borongan and Cebu flights every Monday and Friday covering for an hour flight.

“By confirming our joint effort, we support the future of Borongan City and the province of Eastern Samar as a gateway for tourism,” Ng said in his speech during the signing of the MOA held in Manila.

“PAL family shares the excitement of the people of Eastern Samar over the new PAL service between Cebu and Borongan City. We will build new connections to make life better for the people of Eastern Samar,” he added.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda expressed his gratitude to the PAL company for agreeing to have flight in their province.

Agda joined the call of Rep. Maria Fe Abunda of the provinces lone district for the locals to patronize the operations of PAL in their airport to ensure its continued operations.
At present, people from the province have to travel at least five hours to Tacloban City for their air flights.

Governor Ben Evardone described the signing of the MOA as ‘both historic and revolutionary.’

“This is a leap forward in our move to promote Eastern Samar as a haven of tourism and investment,” he said.

For his part, House minority leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan of the 4Ps party-list, promised to provide more funds to further improve the Borongan Airport.

Libanan, who also served as congressman of the lone district of the province, mentioned that among other things, he wants to improve the airport’s terminal building likening its present condition as classroom building; lengthen its current 1.3 kms runway and provide perimeter fence. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

BORONGAN CITY– Residents of Baruk, Can-avid, Eastern are now protected with the newly constructed 56-linear meter flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways – Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH-ESDEO) in their barangay.

According to Niña Busa, a resident of Brgy. Baruk, they are thankful to the agency for the completion of the flood control structure because they are already safe from flooding and the strong current of the river during heavy rains.

“Nakabulig po ini dara kay han una pagbabaha kasi or pag nauran po hiya, diretso po nadako an tubig. Yana, dire na madali masulod hit tubig kay nakakaulang nama in nga aton flood control [This structure is a big help to us because before, whenever there is flood or heavy rain, the river water here overflows. But now, the flood control structure serves as a barrier and mitigates the flooding],” said Busa.

Also, Efren Alfon, barangay chairman of Baruk, shared that the completed flood control is also protecting the barangay from soil erosion and landslides.

The construction of a river control structure in Brgy. Baruk, Can-avid, Eastern Samar has a total project cost amounting to Php 9,653,383.45 funded under General Appropriations Act of 2021 and was completed on February 11, 2022.
(IRMA A. BALLETE,PIO STAFF/PR)