The year 2021 was full of challenges as we continue our battle against the unseen adversary that is COVID-19. Despite the situation, the DBM Ocho has remained resilient and a fighter, confronting the challenges with grit and innovation.
As we welcome another year, the DBM Ocho aims to exceed what was accomplished in 2021. Taking inspiration from the words of Benjamin Franklin, “If you FAIL to PLAN, you PLAN to FAIL,” the office held a number of planning and year-end assessment activities.
DAY 1. The activity began with the preliminaries facilitated by Mr. Elton John Villanueva, followed by an opening message from Assistant Regional Director Aleli N. Hernandez who expressed her gratitude that the activity finally pushed through following the onslaught of typhoon Odette.
She also congratulated all the members of the DBM Ocho family who worked hard to secure the smooth operations of the regional office in this challenging time that forced many to adjust to the “new normal.”
The core of her message revolved around the importance of teamwork in the office. “Because we share knowledge among team members that will help them deliver better results, the stronger team members helped improve those who need aid,” ARD Hernandez said.
She discussed the performance ratings of the office and various divisions as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, including the deadlines for the submission of accomplishment reports, and the Risk, Opportunities, Action, and Registry (ROAR).In the afternoon, each division was given a two-hour breakaway session to present their respective ROARs. The day concluded with the launch of the Regional Program Recognition, Award, and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE), with the awarding ceremony taking place on a different day.
DAY 2: Ms. Jocel Marianne Berico began the second day of the year-end assessment with a prayer and a recapitulation of the previous day's activities. Following that, Ms. Barras gave a presentation on the findings of the evaluation and assessment of the respective performance accomplishments, as well as existing initiatives, programs, projects, and other intervening tasks not reported in the accomplishments.
Ms. Mary Kim U. Homeres, the lead regional office consolidator, supplied the Agreements/Feedback on the B/S/Os Operational Planning Outputs (i.e., CY 2022 OPCR Forms and Functional Group Transition Matrix) dated December 23, 2021. Meanwhile, the afternoon discussion centered on the status of the previous Management Review which took place on October 8, 2021; the BUR of the region, the situation of procurement for 2021, and a recapitulation of submission deadline agreements.
The second day’s activities concluded with a closing message from Director Imelda C. Laceras, the Administrators Honorific Awardee of the Region Eight Administrators League Inc.. According to her, the accomplishments of the region exemplify the true essence of teamwork where she emphasized the “spider-web” concept. She also shared that her accomplishments would not have been possible without the devotion, dedication, and commitment of the entire DBM Ocho team.
The office participated in the simultaneous yearend online gathering organized by the DBM Administrative Service (AS) in collaboration with the Budget Information and Training Service. Highlights of the said event were the awarding of DBM Loyalty Awardees for 2021 and the Donation Drive for the victims of Typhoon Odette in Regions VII, VIII, XI and XIII. Truly, as the saying goes, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
The AS likewise organized fun games and raffles, with one of the DBM Ocho’s employee, Mr. Arnel C. Yboa, winning a cash prize of ₱500 from the Spin the Wheel of Names.
Activity 3: Gender and Development (GAD) Year-end Assessment, Team Building Activities, and PRAISE recognition Ceremony (December 29, 2021)
Associate Professor Maria Aurora Teresa Tabada, Head of the Visayas State University Gender and Development (GAD) Center, spoke about "The Beijing Platform for Development, Equality, and Peace" in the morning session. She honored a Filipina, Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, who made the Beijing Platform possible, followed by a 20-minute video presentation on the Beijing Platform. “Acknowledge and value those who planted the seed for the works and privilege to the rights that all women are enjoying now,” she said.
"It's possible that gender mainstreaming isn't the answer after all. It can only be," Dr. Licuanan remarked, "if it is accompanied by strong gender equality and women empowerment entities." Associate Professor Tabada, ended the discussion with a famous African proverb: “If you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, we have to go together.” “In GAD, you cannot do it on your own,” she added.
Based on the presentation, there are 12 areas of concern where the DBM may focus its efforts in implementing its GAD mainstreaming activities and advocacies.
The discussion was then summarized by Director Laceras who stated that the lessons learned should serve as a reminder to DBM Ocho to influence agencies in mainstreaming gender equality, not just in the office but throughout the Eastern Visayas. "Focus on a process that allows concrete actions to be taken rather than just planned out for purposes of complying with the five percent minimum allocation of the budget to gender-responsive PAPs,” she said.
The culminating activity was the PRAISE Recognition Ceremony where two major awards were given: Most Valuable Personnel (MVP) and Go the Extra Mile (GEM), in recognition of those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, client service, friendship, and compassion to others. The Committee also gave 18 special awards to employees who showed camaraderie, good work attitude and interpersonal skills in the workplace that were useful in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.
A simple token was given to each awardee. Through these awards, the RO is sending a message that an employee’s good actions are appreciated and recognized. Hopefully, the awards will result in a positive work environment.
In her closing message, Director Laceras expressed her gratitude to the PRAISE Committee for its valuable efforts in recognizing the outstanding performance of employees.
Activity 4: DBM OCHO DONATION DRIVE: "OUR TURN TO HELP"
There is no better way of helping the victims of Typhoon Odette than to turn empathy into action. Carrying the theme, “Our Turn to Help,” the DBM Ocho organized a donation drive wherein they gave fruits, in-kind donations, and cash to the typhoon victims.
Cash donations, which totaled P69,000, came from various employees of the office, Procurement Service Depot VIII, LGU Tacloban City, and DBM Central Office. The money was used to purchase grocery items for Southern Leyte. Meanwhile, in kind donations received included used clothing and grocery items.
In partnership with PNP-AVP and Engineer Cheryl Dumlao, donations were delivered to the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte and the Southern Leyte State University. About 105 bags of basic necessities were handed over to the Municipality of Tomas Oppus which benefited around 100 families.
The last batch of delivery of donations was made on January 22, 2022. As survivors of the Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, the DBM Ocho family understands the value of community in times of tragedy. As many would agree, it doesn’t take much to be compassionate and be kind to others for a little help goes a long way.
Despite the challenges and calamities, the crises opened opportunities for personal growth, reconnection, and reflection on the actions of the people to others and the environment.
