'UGNAYAN NG BARANGAY AT SIMBAHAN' LAUNCHED IN DAGUPAN

DAGUPAN CITY – The Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS) project of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 1 gained support from various local chief executives, barangay leaders, and interfaith leaders with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last December 4 at the St. John Cathedral Parish Hall.

LEFT: Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas symbolically receives the list of projects under the Grassroots Participatory Process for 2015 during the regional launching of the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS) last December 4. With Archbishop Villegas are: Sister Lilian Carranza of Nueva Segovia; Leocadio T. Trovela, OIC National Barangay Operations Office; Julie Daquioag, DILG Region 1 Director; and Atty. Edmund Abesamis, Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) national president. RIGHT: Mayor Belen T. Fernandez signs the unity statement in support of the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan. (CIO photos by Mitz Cresencio)

This partnership aims to monitor the delivery of services while promoting good governance, transparency and inter-faith participation in the grassroots level.

UBAS also aims to develop barangays as centers of development by empowering citizens into good governance advocates, while strengthening cooperation between the barangay, church, and government for the effective delivery of social services.

Among the signatories of the MOA were Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas; Sister Lilian Carranza representing Archbishop Marlou Peralta of Nueva Segovia, Atty. Edmund Abesamis, Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) national president; Amado Espino III, LnB Region 1 president; Leocadio T. Trovela, OIC National Barangay Operations Office; and Fr. Antonio Labiao, member of the UBAS national technical working group.

The launching was also graced by Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Vice Governor Ferdinand Calimlim, former Pangasinan Representative Rachel Arenas, local chief executives and barangay leaders from the region, and officials from different national government agencies and religious groups.

Archbishop Villegas said that it is vital that the church and the government work together to serve the people, maintain peace in the community, and attain progress. With UBAS, Villegas said that the participation of each member of the barangay will help in the development of the country.

“Kapag nagsama-sama tayo, mas matutulungan natin ang ating pamayanan,” said Villegas.

UBAS began with the partnership linked made by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo and Bishop Antonio Tobias in 2011.

LOCAL SUPPORT

Mayor Belen Fernandez supported the partnership forged between the barangays and the church as it will help the local government in promoting transparency, accountability, and all-inclusive growth in the grassroots level, following the “Tuwid na Daan” initiative of President Benigno Aquino III.

“Dagupan commits itself to deliver responsibility as contained in the MOA. Further, we support UBAS attain its national objectives in return for the confidence and the unending assistance provided by no less than DILG Secretary Mar Roxas,” said Fernandez.

Meanwhile, DILG Region 1 Director Julie Daquioag cited Fernandez for her active participation in the launching and subsequent implementation of UBAS.

BUDGET MONITORING

The tripartite partnership will also monitor the proper implementation of the projects under the Grassroots Participatory Process (GPP).

GPP is a budget reform initiative which allows participation in the budget process by  civil society organizations and community-based organizations in partnership with local government units.

Projects to be proposed for funding in the GPP must contribute to the priority programs such as provision of basic social services, poverty reduction, attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, hunger mitigation, climate change adaptation, job generation, and inclusive local economic development.

Under the program, with a budget of P20.3 billion as proposed by the Department of Budget and Management for 2015, more than 1,600 local government units will receive funding from the national government. #