by Anjanette Vallejera-Nemiaga
DIPOLOG CITY, April
23 (PIA) - - A consultation with civil society organizations (CSOs) has
recently been conducted here by the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR)-Zamboanga del Norte to draft the 2013 budget plan.
Pursuant to
National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 536 on the guidelines relating to
partnership with CSOs and other stakeholders in the preparation of the agency’s
proposals/programs, DAR-ZN met last week with CSO representatives and other
stakeholders of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and
Reform (CARPER) to come up with next year’s budget plan.
DAR regional chief
for planning Engr. Alfonso Tan discussed the specific guidelines on partnership
CSOs in preparing budget proposals with emphasis on institutionalizing
participatory budgeting in the agency and progressively broadening the
constructive partnership with CSOs and other stakeholders consistent with the principles
of engagement as stipulated in the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM)
circular issued in September 2010.
Said DBM circular
also provided guidelines on citizen participation as a component of the
national government’s budget process more especially in the preparation and
submission of budget proposals.
Engr. Tan said the
DBM-CSO engagement centers on transparency, accountability, integrity,
partnership, consultation and mutual empowerment, respect for internal
processes, sustainability and national interest.
CSOs comprise
non-government organizations (NGOs), people’s organizations (POs),
cooperatives, trade unions, professional associations, faith-based
organizations, media groups, indigenous peoples (IPs) movements, foundations
and other citizen groups formed primarily to engender social and economic
development by helping monitor government programs and projects, engage in
policy discussions and actively participate in any collaborative activities.
Present during the
said consultation were DAR-ZN Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) I Moh.
Dassan Adju, the different division chiefs as well as the representatives from
the various CSOs operating in the province.
Issues and concerns
concerning the implementation of the program were also threshed out in the said
gathering.
In his message
before the participants, PARO Adju said:”There is really a need to
institutionalize our partnership with the CSOs and for them to take an active
part in the implementation of CARPER.” He also hoped to forge a more fruitful
collaboration with them. (FPG/AVN/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)
