DTI-Cebu releases funds for Carcar entrepreneurs

CEBU, Philippines - With the allocated budget for capacity building of business operations, small entrepreneurs in Carcar City are expected to enhance the quality of their locally made products.

The regional Department of Trade and Industry handed over yesterday to the city government the P2.6 million allocation under the grassroots participatory budgeting process.

DTI Cebu Provincial Director Nelia Navarro said the GPBP allows governance and public resources allocation to be more responsive to the needs of the local people.

Formerly known as Bottom-up Budgeting, such budgetary reform is done through a demand-driven budget planning process.

In an interview, Elias Tecson, the agency's Business Development Division chief, noted the allocated money would be used to conduct capability building activities to Carcar makers of goods such as Chicharon, Ampao, Banana Chips, among others.

Other livelihood projects also include trainings on coco midrib and amakan weaving, product packaging and labeling and managing of shared service facilities.

The P2.6 million worth of GPB projects in Carcar is part of the P16.263 million of grassroots budget allocated for Cebu province.

Tecson said they already disbursed P170,000 budget for the municipality of San Remegio for the proposed livelihood projects particularly the coco monkey production.

Other cities and municipalities that are beneficiaries of the grassroots budgeting include Bantayan, Bogo, Compostela, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remegio, Sta. Fe, Tabogon, Alcantara, Alegria, Talisay, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Minglanilla and Carcar.

For Central Visayas which also includes Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, P34.12 million is being allocated for this year's regional budget.

"There are actually two ways pag-implement sa BUB: either ang DTI ang mo-administer o i-download ang budget ngadto sa LGU (local government unit) for it to implement the proposed projects," Tecson explained.

The Department of Interior and Local Government used the Seal of Good Housekeeping to ensure good governance which is essential in local public administration and as basis whether to entrust the money to the LGU.

Data from the Department of Budget and Management has showed that DTI's 2015 budget for priority poverty reduction projects in Central Visayas is around P14.8 million.

The data has further showed that in 2015, Cebu province's grassroots budget is P7.1 million;   Negros Oriental has P3.9 million; and Bohol province gets P3.3 million. (FREEMAN)