Evidence-based planning is the key to successful program implementation. Thus, when the Visayas State University (VSU) presented in 2009 the Barangay Integrated Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI) Strategy, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Baybay City adopted the BIDANI Strategy as part of the LGU Program. Accordingly, Resolution No. 132 was approved during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of the City of Baybay on July 6, 2009.
During that time, however, the City still does not have data for the conduct of the Sectoral Planning and the Barangay Integrated Development Plan (BIDP). Hence, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the use of the Barangay Management Information System (BMIS) Software was signed between the City Government of Baybay, the Barangay Local Government Units, and the Visayas State University (VSU) on January 15, 2010. The survey questionnaires were reproduced by the city and the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) conducted the survey in their respective barangays.
The Baybay City LGU then hired 15 Emergency Encoders to facilitate the encoding of the BMIS Questionnaire from the 92 barangays and in 2011, the Barangay City Management Information System Book for Calendar Year (CY) 2010 was printed and distributed to various national and local agencies. This was utilized during the conduct of the first Sectoral Planning and in the crafting of the first 3-year Barangay Integrated Development Plan (BIDP) of the 92 barangays of the City of Baybay, which was facilitated by the BIDANI Personnel of VSU. Since then, the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) personnel has been conducting the sectoral planning and the BIDP every 3 years, with minimal supervision from the VSU-BIDANI Staff. However, starting in 2019, the Sectoral Planning and Assessment of the BIDP is conducted annually because Baybay City Mayor Hon. Jose Carlos L. Cari wants the Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAs) of the city to be evidence-based.
The BMIS was also institutionalized thru City Ordinance No. 07, Series of 2014 entitled, “An Ordinance creating the City Management Information System (CMIS) of the City of Baybay and Requiring the Creation of Barangay Management Information System (BMIS) in all 92 Barangays of Baybay City,” thus, in 2015, 2016 & 2017, the CMIS & BMIS Books were printed and provided to the 92 barangays of the city.
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) attended the Regional Gender and Development Council (RGADC) meeting in 2018, held at the Lintaon Convention Center, and during that time, the PCW identified BMIS for possible certification and replication as Gender and Development (GAD) Notable Project of Baybay City. True enough, the City of Baybay was recognized as the First Local Learning Hub in Region 8 during the Celebration of the National Women’s Month last March 8, 2019. This was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.
The BMIS also played a very important role in this time of pandemic as it was used as a tool for immediate and effective COVID-19 response, as follows: The BMIS data were used: 1) in identifying the Below Food Threshold families for the distribution of the relief goods; 2) in identifying the recipients for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), and 3) in contract tracing (by identifying the household members of the COVID-19 patient for home quarantine).
Thus, to ensure the sustainability of the BMIS, the City of Baybay allocated funds for its implementation annually, from the 5% of its Gender and Development (GAD) Fund. The Local Chief Executive also issued Executive Order No. 14 creating the CMIS Team, the CMIS Ordinance was crafted, approved, and implemented; two (2) LGU employees were given regular positions to serve as BMIS in-charge, and the Baybay City LGU provides incentives to the barangays who are prompt in submitting their BMIS data.
Given this background about the BMIS, the City Mayor is hopeful that the enumerators will ensure that the data that they will submit to the CPDO are true and accurate because this is being used by the LGU in making huge decisions for the entire City of Baybay.
###