Video by Noy Morcoso lll
MANILA, Philippines – Continuing the legacy of the late Jesse Robredo, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle have forged a partnership allowing the religious sector to monitor the P20 billion spending for local government projects.
In a simple ceremony at the Archbishop’s Palace in Intramuros, Roxas, Tagle and Liga ng mga Barangay ng Pilipinas (LBP) President Edmund Abesamis signed the memorandum of agreement for the Ugnayan ng mga Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS).
UBAS was a brainchild of Robredo which Roxas continued until his leadership at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
According to Roxas, the measure allows the church and faith-based groups to keep an eye on the implementation of projects under the Grassroots Participatory Process (GPP), formerly known as the Bottom Up Budgeting.
For 2015, the government has allotted P20.3 billion for 1,600 local government units in the country.
From the implementation until the delivery of services to the concerned LGUs, UBAS will give the religious sector the power to keep track of the fund distribution.
Threatening
In a short speech by Tagle after the signing, he said the church-government partnership project threatened crooks in the government.
“Itong UBAS could be threatening. Para itong nakatutok sa mga ayaw ng pagbabago dahil sila ay makikinabang sa dating sistema na walang partisipasyon.” he said.
Atty. Edmundo Abesamis, Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle and Sec Mar Roxas during the Memorandum of Agreement signing of Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS) at Archdiocese of Manila in Intramuros on Sept 12, 2014. Noy Morcoso lll/INQUIRER.net
(UBAS could be threatening. This keeps an eye on those who are against reform because they are benefitting from the old system without the participation.)
Tagle said UBAS would help the country get rid of those who were sullying the anti-poverty projects of the government.
“Ang pagsasalaula sa mga proyekto ay pagsasalaula rin sa dangal ng mga Pilipino. Aba, sa ganitong ugnayan na may partisipasyon. walang lugar iyon dito. Handa ba tayo sa ganitong pagbabago?” he added.
(The immoral use of these projects is akin to the rape of the Filipinos’ dignity. In this agreement where there is participation, there will be no such thing. Are we ready for this kind of change?)
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