SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 21 Aug) — Village officials and stakeholders across Agusan del Sur’s 322 barangays have been trained to monitor government infrastructure projects to prevent “ghost” projects—those that are non-existent or unfinished. The two-day workshop, held at the Provincial Learning Center in Prosperidad municipality, aimed to strengthen oversight of local and national government projects. Organized by the provincial government’s Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) program, the training equipped barangay officials, Sangguniang Kabataan members, civil society organizations, and school principals with skills to monitor, assess, and evaluate projects. The initiative follows national outrage over flood control project anomalies revealed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which exposed multi-billion-peso “ghost” projects. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent inspection of an abandoned flood control site in Bulacan underscored the need for accountability. Michael Leo Torralba, RBME unit head, emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that the training empowers local leaders to actively oversee projects. Participants, including officials from Bayugan City, praised the program for enhancing accountability and ensuring projects meet community needs. The Barangay Project Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (BPMEC) was also trained to use social media for transparency and project tracking. Torralba highlighted that national agencies are legally required to coordinate with barangay officials, citing the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160) to ensure local involvement in national projects. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)
