The birth of Region XIII, otherwise known as the Caraga Region through Republic Act. No. 7901 by then President Fidel V. Ramos on February 23, 1995, paved the way to the operationalization of DBM Regional Office XIII. Fresh but equipped with staff of great resolve, DBM Region XIII took the challenge and played the role as crucial partner of the government in the attainment of the national development goals and in bringing socio-economic growth to the region, harnessing its potential to the fullest.
In consonance with the policy government decentralization by the virtue of Department Order No. 98-21 issued by then DBM Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno on November 3, 1998, DBM Regional Office XIII came into being. It first settled at the 2nd floor of Llido Building, Ochoa Avenue, Butuan City. To initially undertake the functions of the new Regional Office, a skeletal force consisting of one (1) Senior Budget and Management Specialist, Accountant III and a Driver pioneered the operations in Caraga Region under the stewardship of then Regional Director Norberto A. Almaden who also served for the time being as concurrent Regional Director of DBM Regional Office X. Initial operation started in April of 1999 catering only to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office XIII and District Offices. With the addition of two (2) more technical staff transferred from RO X and the hiring of one (1) technical and two (2) administrative staff in August of 1999, the regional office’s coverage extended to the regionalized agencies of Caraga, among which are the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) which is now known as Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Health (DOH), Local Water Districts (LWDs), and Local Government Units (LGUs) operating within four major provinces of the region, namely the Provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur and the cities of Surigao and Butuan which were before under the coverage of Regions X and XI. As the scope of the Regional Office became wider, another three (3) personnel were hired in September of 1999 to complement the staffing requirements of DBM Regional Office XIII. On the same month, the office was provided with an Assistant Regional Director in the person of Director Joecel F. Obenza.
As the new Caraga Region soared high in becoming an economic powerhouse in the northeastern part of Mindanao, DBM Regional Office XIII simultaneously evolved. With Director Almaden’s vision to make the regional office into one that it is dynamically flexible and responsive to the challenges and demands if development for Caraga, three (3) Technical Divisions namely, Divisions “A”, “B” and “C” and the Finance Administrative Section were formally set-up in the middle part of year 1999. Division “A” served the Education Sector covering DepEd, SUCs and TESDA. Division “B” took charge of the LGUs and LWDs. While Division “C” handled DPWH and DOH.
Anticipating the Herculean tasks the Office will be facing in the succeeding years, Director Almaden, with a shove from Director Obenza, made possible the transfer of the Regional Office from Llido Building to Rudy Tiu II Building situated at J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City, in January, 2001. After two years of existence, DBM RO XIII transferred to Rudy Tiu Bldg. II, J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City. Upon Regional Director Almaden’s retirement, Assistant Regional Director Joecel F. Obenza took over the post to head the regional office by way of Office Order No. 2001-393 on December 24, 2001.
With its 2-story building, the working environment became more conducive to effective operations for the entire workforce, not to mention its being accessible to the clientele agencies.
The organizational set-up of the Regional Office remained as is until Director Obenza took the post to head the Regional Office as the newly appointed OIC – Regional Director by way of Office Order No. 201-393 in view of the retirement of Director Almaden on December 24, 2001. Three years later, Chief Budget and Management Specialist Helen M. Dumayas was designated as OIC – Assistant Regional Director effective May 17, 2004.
It was in 2010 that DBM RO XIII moved to its permanent home in J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan City, as inaugurated by then DBM Secretary Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. Few years after the transfer, the office underwent various changes in leadership; Director Obenza was succeeded by Director Achilles Gerard C. Bravo (2012-2016; 2017-2018), Director Ricky L. Sanchez (2016-2017), Director Gary R. Martel (2018-2020), OIC – Director Jenneth C. Partosa (2020-2021), and the concurrent head, Director Maria Fe D. Jagna.
To date, DBM Regional Office XIII’s total workforce consists of 31 personnel. Implementing geographical set-up since January of 2005, Technical Division A covers all agencies under the geographical jurisdiction of the Province of Surigao del Norte, Province of Dinagat Islands and the City of Surigao, Technical Division B is taking charge of the agencies under the Province of Agusan del Norte, Province of Agusan del Sur and Cities of Cabadbaran and Bayugan, while Technical Division C serves the Provinces of Surigao del Norte, the Cities of Butuan, Tandag and Bislig.
For years to come, DBM Regional Office XIII is expected to continue to be of service to “the land of the brave and fierce people” with which Caraga Region literally derived its meaning.
