The Regional Development Council (RDC) VIII approved the RDC VIII budget guidelines during the Third Quarter 2021 RDC VIII Full Council Meeting on 30 September 2021, via Zoom.

The RDC VIII Guidelines on the Preparation, Review, and Monitoring of Annual Agency Budget Proposals for Priority Programs and Projects for Eastern Visayas aims to provide a comprehensive guide for Agency Regional Offices (AROs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in the preparation and prioritization of their annual budgets. The enhanced guidelines incorporate not only the standards and procedures in getting an RDC VIII endorsement but also monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the Council and its members to see how much of each agency’s proposed budget is actually included in the Government Appropriations Act (GAA) every year.

Moreover, provisions on the addition and revision of proponents’ budget proposals are also included in the document. This ensures that additional programs and projects are implementation-ready, giving it a good chance of being included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The goal is to help regional institutions secure funding from the national government for priority programs and projects with a highly positive impact to the region.

To help achieve this, the document prescribes a new mechanism such that each ARO budget proposal will be thoroughly reviewed by the RDC VIII Interagency Task Force (RIATF) on Planning and Budgeting. Created through RDC VIII Resolution No. 48, s. 2021, the task force is mandated to undertake the initial review of the budget proposals before presentation to the RDC VIII Sectoral Committees and the Full Council for possible endorsement.

Under EO 325, s. 1996, the RDC VIII was given the responsibility of reviewing the annual budget proposals of government agencies to ensure that they address the strategic development needs and priorities of the region.

Article and Photos by: Knulp Aseo