A PROPOSED budget of P225.655 billion is needed for the implementation of the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) in 2015-2016 to help improve the situation of the soon to be established Bangsamoro.

Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) programs division head Engr. Windel P. Diangcalan, in an interview with Sun.Star Davao at Park Inn Hotel on Monday last week, said this is the proposed budget they have come up with for the Bangsamoro until 2016, based on the output of their workshops and meetings with other agencies.

“The budget includes the [implementation of] programs, capacity building, and studies,” he said.

“We have already presented the indicative budget to the government and the MILF during the Philippine Development Forum. As to if it is approved or not, we are waiting for the response of the government and we believe there will be another round of workshop for the [finalization] of this,” Diangcalan said.

The top three sectors that will be given the chunk of the budget include: infrastructure programs, social services, and economy and livelihood.

Based on Diangcalan’s presentation on the Overview of The BDP and Proposed Flagship Projects, a bulk of the budget of the budget would go to infrastructure programs with P141.498 billion.

Priority projects for infrastructure in include national and provincial roads, airports and seaports, telecommunications, farm-to-market roads (barangay roads), irrigation, small landing ports, energy requirements for economic activity, cccess roads, household electrification (especially off-grid) for far-flung areas, investments for the six priority camps and other requirements targeted for normalization, flood control projects (dredging of Rio Grande de Mindanao), and retrofitting of existing infrastructure (e.g. bridges), among others.

A total of P54.94 billion will go to social services that would include programs on health, education, sustainable Bangsamoro settlements, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protective services.

For programs on economy and livelihood they have a budget for P17.87 billion, projects under this include Bangsamoro Sustainable Agriculture Program, Massive Job Creation Packages, Balik-Bangsamoro Program, and programs on banking and finance that will promote shariah-compliant financing and banking.

Other budget allocations include programs and projects on environment and natural resources (P3.027 billion), culture and Identity (P2.146 billion), governance (P1.721 billion), and security and normalization (P4.443 billion).(Repost from https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2014/12/15/p226m-needed-implement-bangsamoro-development-plan-382162)