DBM capacitates over 600 local budget officers in Zamboanga

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in partnership with the League of Local Budget Officers Region IX Inc. (LLBO-IX, Inc.), has successfully conducted the Public Financial Management (PFM) Competency Program (PFMCP) for Local Government Units (LGUs) held in Zamboanga City, from June 19 to 21, 2024.

The program engaged over 600 local budget officers from the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur and the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian, Zamboanga, and Isabela. They were capacitated on all stages of the budget process, from budget preparation to procurement and budget accountability.

DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, in her pre-recorded keynote message, encouraged all local PFM practitioners to partner with the national government to ensure efficient budget utilization and effective delivery of public goods and services.

“Sama-sama po nating paigtingin at pagitingin ang ating mga LGUs sa pamamagitan ng wasto at tapat na pagsasagawa at paggamit ng inyong mga budget tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas kung saan walang Pilipino ang maiiwanan, at kung saan ang gobyerno ay pinagkakatiwalaan ng mamamayan,” Secretary Pangandaman said.

The PFMCP for LGUs covered sessions on Maintaining PFM Understanding, Principles of Internal Controls and Internal Audit, Relationship Management, Budget Preparation, Budget Authorization and Review, Budget Execution and Accountability, and Procurement. 

The conduct of the PFMCP for LGUs is aligned with the DBM’s commitment to improving the government’s spending efficiency by encouraging LGUs to practice sound and efficient management of their resources, especially their respective shares in the National Tax Allotment, and ultimately, promote the timely and effective implementation of local programs and projects.

Also present in the three-day program were DBM Undersecretaries Margaux Salcedo and Wilford Will Wong and Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo, Procurement Service-DBM Executive Director Atty. Dennis Santiago, Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office Deputy Executive Director Maria Dionesia Rivero-Guillermo, DBM Regional Office IX Director Mark Louie Martin and