THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental has funded about P9.3 million worth of projects in nine local government units (LGUs) in the province last year through the bottom-up budgeting (BUB) program, its records showed.
Of the amount, the agency released the biggest fund of P7.6 million using 2015 fund. The remaining P1.7 million is from last year’s BUB fund.
Under the 2015 BUB fund, Kabankalan City received the highest amount of P1.7 million. It was followed by Talisay City with P1.5 million; Bacolod City, P1.4 million; and Moises Padilla, P1 million.
DTI-Negros Occidental also facilitated the implementation of P875,000 worth of project in Murcia; P640,000 in Hinigaran; and P500,000 in Silay City.
For the 2016 fund, the agency released P1 million and P700,000 to Victorias City and San Enrique, respectively.
Engiemar Tupas, senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said on Tuesday the amount was used to fund various projects related to enterprise development.
These included different trainings and seminars as well as the setting up of one town, one product (Otop) stores in the province, he said.
“The BUB program has brought positive impact to the communities, particularly to the recipient-organizations,” Tupas said, reiterating that skills and product development trainings have mainly boost local enterprises through making them more capable of producing competitive products.
Under the BUB, civil society organizations are the ones identifying the projects needed by the community. The Local Productivity Reduction Action Team (LPRAT) of every LGU reviews the project proposal to be endorsed and facilitated for funding by the DTI.
DTI-Negros Occidental records further showed that almost P23.5 million worth of projects are up for implementation in 11 LGUs this year.
Of the amount, almost P6.2 million was under the 2015 BUB fund intended for the proposed projects in the towns of Valladolid, Candoni, Pulupandan, E.B. Magalona, and Cauayan.
The biggest chunk of almost P17.3 million, which is under 2016 BUB fund, comprises projects for six LGU, including the cities of Silay, Kabankalan, and Talisay, and municipalities of Hinigaran, Pulupandan and Binalbagan.
These are “up for release” funds pending the refinement of project proposals by the DTI regional office, Tupas said.
