MARAWI CITY — The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), through the provincial office in Lanao del Sur’s first district, gathered stakeholders on March 6 from the province to discuss further enhancements in the delivery of social services in line with budget preparation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.
Representatives from local government units, Bangsamoro Government’s ministries and offices, civil society organizations, and 90 beneficiaries from the municipalities of Bubong, Ramain, and Buadiposo-Buntong attended the event to assess the needs of all stakeholders involved and rank the needs based on their urgency.
“We conduct this activity annually to hear the suggestions of our stakeholders from the grassroots communities. With their help, we can further improve the delivery of our programs and services for our beneficiaries”, said Bai Yasmira Pangadapun, Lanao del Sur-1’s provincial social welfare officer.
Among the top recommendations during the consultation were the establishment of dialysis centers near the poor communities of the province, strengthening the campaign against child labor, allocating additional support for persons with disabilities (PWDs), establishing more birthing facilities for pregnant women, creating more livelihood opportunities for underprivileged households, and ending malnutrition among children.
With the social services sector as one of its priorities, the Bangsamoro Government allocated P3.7 billion for MSSD this year—higher than the 2023 budget allocation of 2.9 billion.
As a standard procedure, the consolidated suggestions and comments of the workshop participants will be relayed to MSSD’s regional office to serve as one of the bases for the 2025 budget preparation.
In their budget call for FY 2025, the Ministry of Finance and Budget and Management (MFBM) said that the budget proposals from the Bangsamoro Government's ministries, offices, and agencies (MOAs) are expected to be "anchored on more concrete program plans and designs that outline key procurement and implementation milestones."
Engaging with stakeholders and incorporating their feedback into the budget planning process enables the government to tailor its programs and services to serve the people better.
Such initiatives demonstrate a proactive approach towards social development and poverty alleviation, fostering a more inclusive and resilient society in the Bangsamoro region, in line with Chief Minister Ebrahim’s Enhanced 12-Point Priority Agenda. (BIO/PIA Lanao del Sur)
