The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was welcomed by officials and personnels of the Isabela State University (ISU) on April 18, 2024 for an on-site Technical Budget Hearing (TBH) for the fiscal year 2025.

The DBM delegation was headed by its Regional Director, Ms. Cherry W. Bravo, together with Ms. Juliet T. Bilag (Chief, Budget and Management Specialist), Mr. Jose C. Pamittan (Chief, Budget and Management Specialist), and Mr. Jojit A. Cambri (Acting Supervising Budget Management Specialist).

The said budget hearing aimed to refine and recommend a more realistic Tier 2 budget for the University for the year 2025, especially on Capital Outlay (CO) proposals. The process focused on ensuring the University’s alignment with the government’s 8-point socio-economic agenda, the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), and the Budget Priorities Framework (BPF). Additionally, the TBH provided the DBM the chance to visit ISU’s ongoing projects at its Jones and Cauayan campuses, including proposed infrastructure developments.

The Agency Performance Review (APR) conducted by DBM concerning the University’s operational performance in 2023 received praise due to the successful achievement of all its physical targets. Similarly, the financial performance was lauded, with the Budget Utilization Rate (BUR) nearing 100% for the same period. The agency also proposed effective measures and strategies to maintain such favorable and highly satisfactory results in the future years.

According to Mr. Constante G. Medina (University Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation), the TBH yielded positive results for the University since the DBM saw first-hand the needs of the campuses for academic buildings, student dormitories, machineries and equipment, whereby it advised the University to comply with the submission requirements and endorsements from concerned endorsing agencies.