PRESS RELEASE

DTI-9 turns-over P2.7-M to 6 towns in region 9By Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Nov. 25 – Six municipalities in the region have received monetary assistance of P2,722,500 from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-9 to help local government units (LGUs) develop and enhance their products and services.

The assistance is under the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB), formerly known as the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB), a key component of President Benigno Aquino III’s anti-poverty program.

The recipient-municipalities are Baliguian, Sindangan and Piñan of Zamboanga del Norte, Kumalarang and Ramon Magsaysay of Zamboanga del Sur and Malangas town of Zamboanga Sibugay.

The projects proposed for Zamboanga del Norte are Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) for Piñan and Sindangan. These municipalities aim to speed up the processing of business permits and licenses to encourage more investors to pour in their capital in said towns, each receiving P130,000 for the project, while Baliguian town focuses on the promotion of their local wine called “pangasi” through wine packaging and preservation training. The project cost is P185,000.00.

In an interview with Sindangan Mayor Nilo Florentino Z. Sy, he thanked DTI for the assistance saying, “this is a big help to us. This will definitely hasten our transaction in our municipality. We already implemented a One-Stop Shop license processing in Sindangan, and now that we received this from DTI, it will further speed up our processing. This will be of big help for our businessmen.”

Baliguian Mayor Albina Esmali has also expressed her gratitude for the assistance her town received from DTI.

“Thank you very much DTI for the help extended to us. We can now start conducting our training on “pangasi” wine packaging and preservation,” the lady mayor said.

Five projects were approved for Zamboanga del Sur, two coming from Kumalarang and three from Ramon Magsaysay. The projects include mat weaving and handy craft production for Kumalarang amounting to P570,000.00; while projects for Ramon Magsaysay include One Town-One Product (OTOP) store costing P712,500.00, establishment of production shop for novelty items amounting to P190,000.00, and bamboo craft development pegged at P380,000.00.

Ramon Magsaysay Mayor Leonilo Borinaga Sr. could not hide his elation over the approval of their proposed project, as the project would really help alleviate poverty in the area.

“I cannot express enough my feelings now that we have finally received this assistance. When DTI-Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Director Marichu Atay informed me that the funds was already released, I told her that you (DTI) are the first government agency to have given us assistance among all government agencies that we approached. We see this as a means to alleviate poverty in our area. We have the resources but we lack livelihood. Now we know we can have the support that we need to fund our projects for the benefit of the people. Our thanks to DTI for all the help,” Mayor Borinaga exclaimed.

E n a b l i n g B u s i n e s s , E m p o w e r i n g C o n s u m e r s

REGIONAL OFFICE IX4th Floor VHW Bldg., Veterans Avenue, 7000 Zamboanga City, Philippines

Telephone: (6362) 955-3237 | 991-3238 Fax: (6362) 991-3232 e-Mail: R09@dti.gov.phwww.dti.gov.ph

Mayor Eugenio Salva Jr. of Kumalarang town also thanked DTI for the budgetary support allocated for his town’s projects.

“We are thankful to DTI for giving us funding that will help our people. This will encourage our mat weavers even more to continue with their craft,” the soft-spoken mayor said.

The Municipality of Malangas in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, on the other hand, had its livelihood training project on soap making and production approved with budget allocation of P425,000 with DTI-9 as the project implementer.

The turnover ceremony was conducted last week with DTI-9 Regional Director Sitti Amina M. Jain personally handing over the ceremonial checks to the local chief executives and representatives of the said towns.

A proposal on the establishment of a bio-diesel processing plant for the marginalized and small coco farmers in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte worth P6 million, and a mini oil mill in Ramon Magsaysay amounting to P1.8 million are still awaiting approval from DTI head office.

DTI-9 Industry Development Division Chief Grace Aduca said, “the approval of proposed projects amounting to P1 million and up is with our head office. Less than a million, we can do it in the regional level.”

The Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) is the national government’s program that makes governance and resources allocation more responsive to local needs, thereby, contributing to poverty reduction and inclusive growth by increasing the citizens’ access to local service delivery through demand-driven budget planning, and strengthening government accountability in local public service provision.

For this year, the national government has allocated P20.047-B for the implementation of 1,226 projects proposed all over the country. (FPG/MVC/DTI-9)

Approved for release:

SITTI AMINA M. JAIN, Ph.D.OIC-Regional Director

E n a b l i n g B u s i n e s s , E m p o w e r i n g C o n s u m e r s

REGIONAL OFFICE IX4th Floor VHW Bldg., Veterans Avenue, 7000 Zamboanga City, Philippines

Telephone: (6362) 955-3237 | 991-3238 Fax: (6362) 991-3232 e-Mail: R09@dti.gov.phwww.dti.gov.ph