TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) –The Regional Development Council in Region 7 (RDC-7) Central VIsayas led by Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado resolves to ask the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to transfer the budgets of key economic development infrastructure projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to agencies concerned for their final programming.
According to the RDC through its Development Administration Committee (DAC) which was tacked to take on the issue, in the 15 September 2023 RDC-7 meeting, Congressman Manuel Sagarbarria (Negros Oriental 2nd District) proposed that the RDC pass a resolution requesting the DBM to place the budgets for the Tourism Road Infrastructure Project (TRIP) and the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) Program under the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Presently, TRIP and ROLL IT budgets are placed under the DPWH.
While DPWH and DOT or DTI jointly identify the projects proposed for funding under each fund, it is the DPWH that finalizes the list of projects for the TRIP and ROLL IT based on agreed evaluation criteria.
In a meeting in compliance with the RDC instruction, the DAC Secretariat met on November 9, 2023 with representatives of the DBM 7, DOT 7, DTI 7, DPWH 7, and NEDA 7 of the RDC 7.
During the meeting, the body learned that in determining and funding projects under the TRIP and ROLL IT, the regional offices receive project proposals from LGUs, the offices of the congressmen for the TRIP and in the case of the ROLL IT, from the private sector for funding.
From there, the DPWH and either DOT or DTI then evaluate the proposals and its purpose to identify the proposals for endorsement to the appropriate Central Technical Working Group (CTWG).
The CTWG, which includes representatives of the DPWH and the DOT for TRIP and the DTI for ROLL IT, also evaluates, assesses, and prioritizes the qualified projects for funding consideration.
The CTWG prioritized projects are then submitted to DBM for possible inclusion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
When funded under the NEP, the funds included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) are downloaded to DPWH, which will handle the final programming, procurement and the implementation of the projects.
Cong Sagarbarria pointed out that as the budgets for TRIP and ROLL IT are placed under the DPWH, the DOT and DTI primarily can only identify projects for funding consideration under the TRIP and ROLL IT and do not play roles in the final programming of projects.
As the DOT 7 and DTI 7 posed no objection in the implementation of the projects in the region under the current set-up of the TRIP and ROLL IT, the added role to have hand in the final programming of these projects would be new in the set-up.
For both DT and DOT, as long as the procurement and implementation of the projects remain with DPWH, which has the technical capability to execute the projects, the proposal is appropriate as it will facilitate the closer monitoring and shepherding of the project proposals.
This allows the DOT and DTI to determine which among the proposals are actually funded and implemented.
And without any legal impediment in transferring the budgets for these projects from DPWH to DTI and DOT, the RDC then through the DAC in its Nov 16 meeting recommended for the RDC Full Council endorsement of the proposal to transfer the budgets for the TRIP and ROLL IT to DOT and DTI, respectively, and for implementation to remain with the DPWH, to ensure that these funds are effectively and fully utilized. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
