Magandang hapon po sa lahat ng nakikilahok sa ating regional Dagyaw dito sa National Capital Region. To Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin of the Department of Interior and Local Government, our esteemed resource speakers, representatives from local government units, and participants from civil society organizations, thank you for the privilege to share with you my message today on social accountability.
These two words are reflected in the theme of this town hall meeting, "Likas-Kaya: Kalinga, Kaligtasan at Katatagan sa Pandemya" or “Fostering Multi-Sectoral Convergence through Social Accountability.”
Allow me to quote the great Martin Luther King, Jr. He said: “an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
This, I think, is what social accountability is all about. It says, “I have personal predicaments, but it should not make me lose sight of the people around me.”
And social accountability is not only about what one says but also about what one does. We don’t stop at awareness and recognition. We step in and do something. We participate in donation drives following the onslaught of typhoons and disasters; we join health and volunteer missions amid the pandemic; and we gather and discuss ways forward like what we are doing today, here in Dagyaw.
It is only when we embody social accountability that care, safety, and resilience become realized. And it is only through Dagyaw—or togetherness—that we can achieve these. When we recognize how interconnected our lives are with other people’s lives, it becomes easier for us to empathize, care, and do better.
As part of the government, it is our job to create the environment that would help people rise above their personal concerns.
We want to foster social accountability by providing proper support for our citizens, especially to the most vulnerable sectors.
On our end at the Department of Budget and Management, we have worked hard to make sure that the 2023 Proposed National Budget prioritizes the immediate needs and pressing concerns of Filipinos including transportation, education, health, and disaster readiness—the core theme of this year’s Dagyaw.
Thus, we have allocated the Department of Transportation (DOTr) with Php 167.12 billion for the establishment of an efficient and reliable mass public transportation system.
Meanwhile, the Education sector still gets the highest allocation of Php 852.8 billion and covers the Department of Education (DepEd), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
To strengthen the healthcare system—which is crucial as we strengthen our human capital—the Department of Health (DOH) will be allocated a total of Php 23.0 billion for its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to provide access to healthcare services through the construction, rehabilitation, and upgrading of health facilities and the purchase of medical equipment, among its other programs. This is included in their total budget of Php 296.3 billion.
Lastly, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, formerly known as the Calamity Fund, has a total allocation of Php 31.0 billion to ensure that in times of calamities, help is available for our people.
We hope that the national budget will be used to implement programs that will result in an inclusive economy and achieve sustainable growth that will benefit all Filipinos.
Before I end, I would like to emphasize that the only way forward is collective action. These days, some are inclined to focus on themselves alone, but history and contemporary times have shown us, again and again, that the key reforms and developments of humanity were accomplished through collaboration. Thankfully, we have Dagyaw which serves as a platform for collaboration between the government and civil society so we can join forces in tackling and addressing cross-cutting issues and challenges.
Together, let us be innovative, culturally sensitive, and mindful problem-solvers that will serve not just our regions but the whole nation—amid the pandemic, through our recovery, and beyond.
Assalamu alaikum. Thank you and God bless us all!
