How important is BDP to Katiku?

Key considerations informed the development of Katiku’s 5-year BDP.

First, it’s a mandate. Section 105 of the Local Government Code of 1991 requires local government units (LGUs), including the barangay leadership, to have a comprehensive and multi-sectoral development plan that is spearheaded by the barangay development council (BDC) and duly approved by the council.

An inter-agency circular[1] obliges LGUs to adopt a rationalized planning system to ensure the link between the local development and local budget. With this guidance, the investment priorities and the allocation of corresponding resources assume that they address the development challenges and needs of the community.

Second, it’s the accountability of barangay council. Having learned from the experience of previous local governance, the comparative experience of others, and the growing community expectations for transparency and accountability, the barangay leadership must do more and better.

The BDP articulates what the council seeks to do and what development results it can generate. Where the increased use of data is needed to improve local governance, the BDP also serves as an objective reference to measure performance of barangay leadership and suggest much needed improvements.

Third, it’s the basis for making strategic decisions. BDP not only sets out the big picture but also informs the annual investment planning and budgeting. The granularity of details is spelled out in annual budgeting process and the projected expenditures. It also guides how constrained fiscal and other resources are allocated and prioritized over the succeeding years in view of the strategic goals.

The BDP also suggests how the council plans to mobilize resources and overall support from community organizations, civil society, the private sector, religious and educational groups, other LGUs and the government agencies. BDP justifies engagement with various sectors and partnership with other institutions.

The barangay council adopts the BDP as a tool for seeking and proposing further financial and technical support to sustain the delivery of public services. If done well, BDP becomes a platform for the leadership to create long-term development impacts.

For these reasons, the BDP is the development Bible, the heart of everything the council does.

[1] Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01 series of 2007 by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Finance (DOF)