NYC stakeholders part of set budget meeting

CEBU, Philippines - The National Youth Commission will be conducting its Stakeholders' Consultation for the commission's budget for 2014 on March 15 at the Capitol Social Hall.

Over a hundred youth leaders, volunteers, members of youth-serving organizations and other stakeholders are expected to attend the consultation.

The said consultation aims to institutionalize participatory budgeting and broaden constructive partnership between the commission and its stakeholders.

“Kini ang usa sa atong mga pamaagi para madunggan nato kung unsa gyud ang gikinahangalan sa atong mga kabatan-onan sa Visayas ug para makita pud nila ang mga butang nga nabuhat na sa atong ahensya,” said Erwin Andaya, NCY commissioner representing the Visayas.

Commissioner Gio Tingson, who heads the project, said that through the consultation process they want to ensure that their stakeholders will be aware of where and how the agency spends its annual budget.

Tingson added that they will be implementing the bottom-up budgeting approach, which allows their agency to get feedback and recommendations from their stakeholders on what programs and projects the agency should prioritize for the youth.

Aside from directly consulting on what priority projects and activities the commission should set, the activity also allows the presentation of the NYC's budget details and accomplishments for the past three years.

This will be the third series of consultations that the NYC implemented with its stakeholders regarding its budget planning.

The Commission launched the campaign last October where the NYC used the bottom-up budgeting approach for the first time and held consultations in preparation of the agency's annual financial plan.

Aside from this series of consultations, the NYC also intends to conduct a separate activity to integrate youth groups in the budget deliberations in the national level, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management.

Through this activity, the two national government agencies seek to promote and highlight the importance of youth participation in the national budgeting process as it empowers young people and instills in them the value of responsible and participatory citizenship.

The National Youth Commission was created under Republic Act 8044 or the Youth in Nation-building Act to be in charge of policy formulation on youth development and youth participation.  - /BRP (FREEMAN)