With the genuine desire to bring the government closer to the people, DILG Cagayan initiated a program which aims to strengthen the partnership of the Department, the Municipal Government and the Barangay level through improved participation of the barangay stakeholders in project monitoring and maintenance. The program also seeks to ensure project sustainability after completion through the sense of ownership instilled by the program to the beneficiaries, thereby resulting to the realization of the primary goal of the AM Program.
The ICARE Program is a solution to the issues observed by the Cagayan Project Development and Monitoring Unit during the series of 2017 ADM Project monitoring and inspection. Apart from the technical defects on projects, there was an insufficient dissemination of project information among the community and an absolute lack of third party participation on project monitoring and maintenance. As end-users of the projects, the community themselves must partake in sustaining the projects provided to them by the National Government.
The barangay officials, the project beneficiaries, the winning contractors, CSO and NGO representatives and the Municipal Functionaries were directed to attend the ICARE launching and ground breaking ceremony.
The first ground breaking ceremony and ICARE launching was conducted in Santa Teresita, Cagayan with a total of 60 attendees on June 26, 2018 followed by the same activity at Santa Praxedes, Cagayan on June 28, 2018 with 150 attendees.
In the activity, the participants were given an overview of the 2018 AM Program, with the salient features of the guidelines and the timelines that must be monitored. The roles and functions of the local stakeholders were elaborated by the DILG personnel along with the background and objective of the ICARE Program.
After the discussions, all attendees pledged their commitment to cascade the right move, to report wrongful action, protect and sustain projects provided by the Department, assist the Municipal Government in project monitoring and to help in upholding the highest standard of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the implementation of Locally Funded Projects, such as the 2018 Assistance to Municipalities.
The launching of the ICARE program on other Municipalities is scheduled on the 2nd semester of year 2018 after the Notice to Proceed is awarded by the respective Municipalities to the winning contractors. # LGOO II Mikhaela L. Aman
