The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI convened for its 1st Quarter Regular Meeting for CY 2021 via Zoom on March 9, 2021. Among the matters deliberated by the Council was the FY 2022 Budget Proposal of Agency Regional Offices, State Universities and Colleges and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations for Davao Region.

On February 15 to 19, 2021 the RDC XI through its Expanded Executive Committee (ExCom), pursuant to its mandate espoused in Executive Order No. 325, conducted the FY 2022 Budget Review and Consultation for the 47 Agency Regional Offices (AROs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) in Davao Region.

All the 47 agency budget proposals for FY 2022 reviewed by the RDC Expanded ExCom were endorsed with the total amount of PHP 300.87 billion earmarked to fund Davao Region’s development requirements for FY 2022, with Infrastructure Development sector getting the highest share at PHP 168.404 billion, followed by the Social Development sector at PHP 96.126 billion, Economic Development sector at PHP 28.433 billion and Development Administration sector at PHP 7.906 billion.

Of the Php 300.87 billion endorsed budget proposals, around Php 149 billion or approximately 49% shall be allocated for regular programs, activities and projects (PAPs) of agencies under Tier 1 while around Php 123 billion or approximately 51% shall be allotted for new and expanded PAPs under Tier 2. The budget proposals for FY 2022 excluded the PAPs which shall be devolved to the Local Government Units (LGUs) and are expected to be funded by the LGUs in light with the Supreme Court Ruling of the Mandanas-Garcia petitions.

In terms of the agencies with the highest budget proposal, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) XI ranked first with PHP 166.29 billion, followed by the Department of Education (DepEd) XI with PHP 65.03 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) XI with PHP 18.80 billion, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI with PHP 9.55 billion, and the Department of Health (DOH) XI with 6.14 billion. The combined amounts proposed by these agencies comprise 88.35 percent of the total budget proposals for Davao Region.

The Davao Region’s FY 2022 endorsed budget proposals include new and expanded major capital projects which costs about PHP 2.5 billion under Tier 2, viz: new school personnel positions; electrification and upgrading of electrical facilities of schools; purchase of textbooks and other instruction materials; farm to market roads; new building construction i.e. workshop building, school learning resource center, laboratories, among others; waste-to-energy project; construction of national and local roads, diversion roads, bypasses, national bridges, flyovers, as well as, various infrastructure projects in support of national security. The cultural information hub, cultural village, and heritage development projects of the Department of Tourism (DOT) XI were also included in the FY 2022 budget proposal although amounting to PHP 1.5 billion. – Normiel B. Aslor, Sr. EDS, NEDA XI