DBM distributes first-ever Budget Operations Manual for Barangays

By RICKY J. BAUTISTA
March 29, 2008

BASEY, Samar  –  Fifteen years after the enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. 7160), the first-ever Budget Operations Manual for the country’s 42,000 barangays were finally introduced and distributed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) early last week.

Budget officials said this new manual has outlines a clear procedure in connecting the plan to the budget and introduces to the barangay officials the concept of a policy-driven and output or performance-based barangay budget.

Early last week, Budget officials led by DBM Eastern Visayas Regional Director Imelda C. Laceras, Assistant Regional Director Edmund Talle, Senior Budget Management Specialist Aleli Hernandez, Leyte provincial budget officer Gina Hipe, Samar provincial budget officer Maximo D. Sison Jr., introduced and distributed the said manual in different seminars conducted for the same purpose throughout the region.

In one of her message, DBM RED Laceras said the first major part of the manual outlines guidelines on how to prepare an annual investment program (AIP) prior to budgeting and how to integrate the executive-legislative agenda (ELA) in the AIP.

"It also provides tools on how to determine and to estimate revenue both local and external sources and simplifies the budget process from preparation, authorization, review, to execution and accountability," Director Laceras said to the first batch of Basey barangay officials, who attended the said seminar on March 24-26, 2008 held at Jasmin Beach Resort, Marabut, Samar.

ARD Talle and Samar PBO Sison, who both impressively answered all the queries, during an open forum further explained and introduced to the participants the new easy-to-accomplish forms in each phase of the budget cycle.

"Actually, ang pinagkaiba lang nitong mga bagong porma sa manual, ay itong bago detalyado sya at madaling maintindihan… hindi sya complicated. Me mga new laws on procurement and accounting system at mga collective experiences ng mga budget officers na ini-incorporate ng DBM dito sa manual," PBO Sison stressed.