by Franklin P. Gumapon
DIPOLOG CITY, March 14 (PIA) - - A budget amounting to P 53.781 billion for calendar year 2013 has been approved by the executive committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-IX during its meeting held here recently.
The 2013 budget shall be used to fund regular programs and new projects to be implemented in support of the agri-industrial sector, social services sector and infrastructure development sector.
RDC-IX chair Dipolog Mayor Evelyn T. Uy disclosed that said budget would serve as the basis for the implementation of programs and projects of the different line agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations as well as state colleges and universities based in the region.
It was also learned that the agri-industrial sector will have a total budget of P3,932,760,000 broken down as follows: Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – P411.8 million, Department of Agriculture (DA) – P2.467 billion, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – P722.5 million, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – P79.8 million, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – P77.07 million, Department of Tourism (DOT) – P10.8 million, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – P74.9 million, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) – P56.7 million and Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) – P31.1 million.
An allotment of P30.5 billion has been set aside for the social services sector consisting of six state universities and colleges, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Education (DepED), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Dipolog School of Fisheries (DSF).
The infrastructure development sector has an appropriation of P19.164 billion to be shared by the following agencies, namely, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – P15.357 billion, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) –P1.225 billion, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)-Zamboanga City – P729.622 million, PPA-Dapitan City – P718,721 million and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippine (CAAP) – P1.132 billion.
An amount of P167.234 million is also set aside for the Development Administration Committee (DAC) which includes the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
RDC-IX’s 2013 budget is said to support the key result areas of the President’s Social Contract to the Filipino people which include transparency, accountability and open governance, poverty reduction and empowerment of the vulnerable sector, rapid inclusive and sustained economic growth, lasting peace and the rule of law, and environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation. (FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)
