LGUs Told: Get Education, Healthcare, Housing, Food Projects Accessible for Funding

Representatives from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) urged local government units (LGUs) to include projects for food security, nutrition, education, rural development, universal healthcare and housing in its poverty alleviation plan for project funding this coming March 2017.

The OVP, in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government, rolled out a one-day pre-launching workshop for LGUs on Friday last week in preparation for Angat Buhay Cebu’s formal initiation on March 7 in Cebu City.

Angat Buhay, an initiative program of Vice President Leni Robredo, aims to address the issues on poverty by establishing partnerships with LGUs, national agencies, private sectors as well as international and local donors.

Georgina Hernandez, head of the Angat Buhay project, said that during its formal launching in October last year, at least 50 municipal projects received fund pledges from anti-poverty groups, multinational corporations, and international and local aid agencies.

Hernandez said that during Angat Buhay Cebu launching, LGUs will have to present their anti-poverty programs before the benefactors that include private companies, international and local civic organizations.

“We are here to help communities particularly those at the fringes of society by bringing together stakeholders and the government for necessary support of the anti-poverty programs,” Hernandez said.

As preparation for the presentation, LGUs underwent a workshop that would allow them to prioritize plans that alleviates poverty in their area, Hernandez said.

In Cebu province, there are 15 LGUs identified as pilot areas. These are Bogo City, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, San Remigio, Tuburan, San Francisco in Camotes Island, Danao City, Manduae City for northern part.

The southern part includes the towns of Argao, Barili and Dalaguete and the cities of Naga, Talisay and Carcar .

Among the projects of Angat Buhay include food security and nutrition, education, rural development, women empowerment, universal healthcare and housing and resettlement.

Hernandez explained that the program is intended to complement national government projects by enhancing its implementation design.

“What we really want to do is to connect the projects of government and civic organizations at the community level,” she said.

Participatory Governance

According to Hernandez, they selected Cebu province because of the common elements in Governor Hilario P. Davide’s six-key development agenda and Angat Buhay.

“We found out that the principles and objectives of the governor’s agenda are very similar with Angat Buhay,” Hernandez said.

In the preamble of his six-key development agenda, Davide acknowledges collective participation in managing development, as well as simple participatory and collaborative style of leadership.

Hernandez added that they want the government to be accessible to the people, “participatory in identifying projects and empowers the community.”

Moreover, Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) head Florentino Nimor explained that the role of the OVP and the Provincial Government is to help ensure that LGU proposal for anti-poverty programs will meet with the requirements of potential donors.

Nimor believes that Angat Buhay project will have direct impact on the governor’s six-key agenda particularly in the fields of health and social services, countryside development and education.

Robredo and Davide are expected to grace the official launching of Angat Buhay Cebu next month.

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph