By: Lyndee Rose S. Basilio

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in preparing its 2016 budget proposal conducted a budgeting workshop held last April 7-11, 2015.

MGB R02 Regional Director Mario Ancheta, OIC Chief of Finance and Administrative Division (FAD) Erlinda Catabay, Budget Officer Remigia Manuel and Planning Officer Imee Gatan- Agaloos attended the budgeting workshop at Brentwood Suites, Quezon City. The budgeting workshop tackled the new budgeting scheme that the agency will adopt in 2016. MGB will adopt the two-tier budget approach (2TBA) prescribed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) under National Budget Memorandum 123.

The 2TBA is designed to hasten transparency and accountability of various departments and bureaus of the government. This approach will streamline the budget process where discussions and deliberations among existing projects and programs, its expansion and newly proposed programs and projects are conducted separately.

According to MGB Central Office the tier one of 2TBA is focused on the cost of ongoing programs and projects of the MGB. Among these projects and programs are: conduct of Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Subsurface Assessment; intensive information campaign and distribution of the 1:10,000 scale Geohazard Maps under the Geohazards Assessment Program; monitoring of mining operations; programs that address illegal mining and small-scale mining; and the declaration of Mineral Reservation (MinRes) areas.

MGB CO further emphasized that the tier two of TBA is focused on the new programs, spending measures and proposals of the Bureau. Also under tier two are the expansion of ongoing and existing projects and other new programs/projects that may be specific in a certain region.

Agaloos said that the first day of the workshop was conducted by cluster where the Finance and Budget group tackled the unified accounts code, and forward estimates, while the planning group discussed the Performance Informed Budget and Reporting.

“The Administrative group discussed about the staffing per region and the filling up of vacant positions as approved under the rationalization plan of the Bureau,” the Planning Officer exhorted.

On the succeeding days of the workshop it tackled budget proposal on various programs and projects of the agency. Review and finalization of budget proposals were likewise conducted.

The workshop was graced by MGB Director Leo L. Jasareno and Assistant Director Elmer B. Billedo.