THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released more than P1.2 billion for building better open spaces under its “Green, Green, Green” program.
In its quarterly report, the budget department said the fund was released to 68 recipient cities for their respective projects as of March 29, 2019.
Around 25,000 individuals residing within a 10-minute walk from each public open space project and around 66,000 daily visitors are expected to benefit from this development.
A local budget circular is set to be released, which will provide the guidelines on the implementation of the Local Government Support Fund-Assistance to Cities for the FY 2019 Budget. The Office of the Secretary-Technical Review Unit (TRU), the office in charge of providing technical assistance on the planning and implementation of the program, also held a roundtable in February to enhance the draft guidelines.
The TRU got inputs from experts in public open space planning, design, project implementation and project maintenance.
Last year, the DBM launched the Green, Green, Green program, which aims to make the Philippines’s 145 cities more livable and sustainable through the development of public open spaces by creating esplanades, parks, arboretum or botanical gardens, and building bike lanes, walkways and green infrastructure.
A total amount of P2.5 billion was earmarked for the program in 2018.