LOCAL officials in four Pangasinan towns are more confident of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Alaminos City, and the municipalities of Bani, Burgos and Dasol, have institutionalized the MDGs in their respective development agenda starting with the integration of projects related to achieving local MDG targets in their respective Annual Investment Plan (AIP) starting in 2012.
MDGs are a set of goals and targets, which more than 180 heads of state, including that of the Philippines, committed to pursue in 2000, as part of the United Nation’s Millennium Declaration by 2015. MDGs primarily aim to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable human development.
The process of integrating MDGs in AIPs took place last week during a seminar-workshop held in Villa Jireh in Labrador, Pangasinan.
The seminar-workshop, a follow-through of the MDG Pathways project implemented by La Liga Policy Institute, a development policy research and advocacy nongovernment organization, with support from the European Union (EU), gathered planning and development, and budget officers of the four Pangasinan LGUs, and representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Ilocos Region (DILG-Region 1).
Alaminos City Mayor Hernani A. Braganza, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, said LGUs are at the frontline in the war against poverty, and are in a better position in identifying what particular MDG targets need to be addressed first and foremost.
Braganza, also the secretary general of the League of Cities of the Philippines, however, said that identifying the problem and solution is just half of the job. He stressed that there is a need to allocate adequate resources whether from the national or local government, or through other sources of funds, to achieve localized MDG targets.
He is confident that with the integration of relevant plans, programs and budget in the AIP, LGUs have a better chance of eradicating the various forms of poverty at the local level, hence, contributing to the effort of the national government to achieve the MDGs.
As part of the process, all budget items within the 2012 AIPs of the four Pangasinan LGUs have been tagged according to their relevance to the MDGs. The seminar participants filled-up a 2012 AIP sheet and identified sources of funds other than the 20-percent development fund of LGUs. Other sources which may be tapped include national government line agencies, multi-lateral agencies and the private sector.
It was also agreed that the 2012 budget message of the local chief executives of the four LGUs should highlight the process that reflects actual public resources to be spent for the MDG local projects.
Roland Cabigas, managing director of La Liga, said that the process is a first of its kind as far as the local budget process is concerned.
“MDG-tagging the AIP means putting budget allocations to the plans, programs and activities to realizing and fast-tracking the achievement of MDG targets,” he said.
The workshop under the MDG Pathways Project, provided the methodology that helped LGUs realize objectives that matters most to their respective constituencies.
The AIP seminar-workshop was also attended by the DILG-Region 1 Assistant Regional Director, Julie Daquioag.
Among the MDG projects tagged during the seminar, are those addressing targets related to poverty eradication (MDG 1), environmental sustainability (MDG 7), maternal health care (MDG 5) and universal primary education (MDG 2). All four are at risk of not being met by 2015.
“The decision of the LGUs to open-up their budget process to intervention to partner NGOs and citizens’ groups, providing concrete budget commitments to MDG projects is a big step towards localizing the MDG national commitments, in terms of plans, programs and budget,” Cabigas explained.
Cabigas called on Malacanang, the Department of Budget and Management and all relevant national government agencies, to provide appropriate investments to match MDG projects of the LGUs in terms budget allocation.
