Tagaytay City, Cavite – Driving towards a forward-focused pursuit and ensuring that accurate and realistic plans and budget formulation truly align with the Board’s programs, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board conducted a Planning cum Budgeting Seminar/Workshop for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 on February 26 – March 1, 2024 at Hotel Kimberly, Tagaytay City.

The week-long activity served as a venue to orient the Board and its 16 Regional Branches nationwide on concepts, principles and procedures on planning, monitoring and evaluation, and budget preparation. Additionally, the training provided the participants the opportunity to clarify some issues about budget framework and review processes.

This, as Executive Director Maria Teresita Lacsamana-Cancio emphasized in her message, is the critical role of conducting such activity to ensure linkage between planning and budgeting and the continuous rational allocation of funds for the fulfillment of the Board’s plans, programs and activities aimed towards industrial peace.

“In our pursuit of excellence, we need to make sure that all needs and concerns are fully considered in the planning process and integrate these matters in the Board’s budgeting process to guarantee that the funds are equitably and efficiently distributed. So, I hope through this activity we will be able to craft the work and financial plan that will help the Board attain its targets,” she said.

Cyara Ysabel Perez of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) underlined the significance of setting coherent and realistic goals, looking ahead at the areas of concern and evaluating the issues that need to be addressed that will propel the NCMB forward in accomplishing its targets and goals.

Further, lecturers from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recommended the participants to employ measurable targets and reasonable budgetary estimates that will gauge the Board’s progress, by instructing the participants to analyze the variances and interpret the results of their proposed budget.

Another highlight of the activity was the presentation of the work and financial plans of the 16 regional branches while the Financial team together with Deputy Executive Director Maria Cristina Mangaliman commented and recommended ways to improve their plans. Overall, the Planning cum Budgeting for FY 2025 provided a platform for dialogue, learning and collaboration among the Regional Branches and the Central Office.

The Central Office is set to consolidate the work and financial plans the regional branches prepared while continuously working together with the source proponents to ensure their alignment with the overall plan of the Board for fiscal year 2025. 

end/nikka garcia