BRAVE. The group of presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson (left to right), vice presidential candidate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto, and senatorial candidate Emmanuel Piñol visit San Jose de Buenavista, Antique on Wednesday (April 20, 2022). Lacson, in a press conference, said their Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) will boost the development of Antique. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Senator and now presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson will push for the implementation of the Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE), which he said could help further boost development in Antique.
Lacson was joined by his running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and senatorial aspirant Emmanuel Piñol in a town hall meeting here in San Jose de Buenavista on Wednesday.
In a press conference that followed, Lacson said Antique, just like other provinces lagging in terms of infrastructure and economic development, will be given an equal opportunity under BRAVE.
Lacson said under his administration the local government units (LGUs) will be the ones to identify their priority projects for funding since "we acknowledge that the LGUs know best their needs."
Under BRAVE, LGU will be allocated a budget of PHP100 million to PHP200 million based on their priority programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) that will be the results of consultation and planning from the Barangay Development Council up to the Regional Development Council (RDC) and endorsed to the national government.
Lacson said since the LGUs will identify their needs and priorities then there will be no more huge unused appropriations.
“The LGUs no longer have to go on the national government agencies bringing with them folders, as if begging, for their PPAs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sotto said that their administration will work hard to help farmers market their produce.
He said the national government will be buying the output of farmers in Antique and nationwide to be assured of their income and not suffer due to the presence of middlemen.
Piñol said he will work for the national water conservation management program through the construction of more mini-dams that could hold water during the rainy season and be used in watering the farms.
“We can achieve full sufficiency if there is enough irrigation, availability of hybrid seeds, fertilization, and good price for farmers or profitability,” he said. (PNA)
