Manila: The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) signed a joint memorandum circular to enhance the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) approach, aiming for efficient fiscal resource management.
According to Philippines News Agency, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan formalized the agreement at the DBM's central office in San Miguel, Manila. The circular aims to institutionalize the PCB strategy within the budget process, ensuring a seamless planning-programming-budgeting continuum. It mandates compliance across departments and agencies, reinforcing the PCB's integration in government planning.
The memorandum directs relevant departments and agencies to develop mechanisms for effective PCB program implementation. It also establishes the PCB Steering Committee (PCB-SC), an oversight body ensuring coordinated and synergized execution of the PCB approach across all governmental levels. The committee, chaired by the NEDA Secretary and co-chaired by the DBM Secretary, will oversee program identification, approval, and implementation.
The PCB-SC is responsible for setting enrollment and delisting rules for PCB programs and managing meetings and budget deliberations. It will also establish guidelines for resolving issues related to programs with multiple attributions and direct the creation of a digital system for data management and sharing.
Pangandaman emphasized the JMC's role in linking planning and budgeting to address overlapping programs. She highlighted the ad hoc nature of current PCB program implementation as a challenge needing resolution for the PCB to effectively serve the administration's goals. Enhanced collaboration among departments is expected to align sectoral goals.
Balisacan underscored the importance of the PCB strategy in aligning public resources with the Marcos administration's socioeconomic agenda and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. He noted the necessity of prudent resource management for plan effectiveness.
