The Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) program was a participatory budgeting initiative in the Philippines that aimed to involve local communities in the decision-making process for the allocation of government funds. It was designed to empower citizens and local governments to have a direct say in the development projects and services that would be funded in their areas. Here are the key points about the BUB:

1. Objective:

• Inclusive Development: The primary goal of BUB was to promote inclusive development by ensuring that government funds were allocated to projects that directly addressed the needs and priorities of local communities.
• Empowerment: It aimed to empower citizens by giving them a direct role in the budgeting process, thus strengthening local democracy.

2. Process:

• Participatory Planning: Local communities, through their civil society organizations (CSOs) and local government units (LGUs), participated in identifying and prioritizing projects that would be funded.
• Project Proposal: LGUs, together with CSOs, submitted project proposals based on the priorities identified during the participatory planning process.
• Funding and Implementation: Approved projects were funded through the national budget, and LGUs were responsible for implementing these projects, with oversight from both local stakeholders and national agencies.

3. Key Features:

• Community Involvement: A core feature of BUB was the active involvement of citizens in the budgeting process, particularly marginalized groups whose needs were often overlooked.
• Collaboration: It required collaboration between different levels of government (national and local) and between the government and civil society.
• Project Focus: Projects funded under BUB typically focused on basic social services, infrastructure development, livelihood programs, disaster risk reduction, and other community needs.

4. Impact:

• Improved Local Services: BUB led to the implementation of thousands of projects across the country, improving access to basic services and infrastructure in many communities.
• Enhanced Accountability: By involving communities directly, BUB helped enhance accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.
• Strengthened Civil Society: The program strengthened the role of civil society in governance, encouraging greater public participation in local decision-making.

5. Challenges:

• Implementation Issues: There were challenges in the implementation of some projects due to capacity constraints at the local level, delays in fund releases, and coordination issues between different government agencies.
• Political Interference: In some cases, political dynamics affected the prioritization and selection of projects, which sometimes led to projects that did not fully align with community needs.
• Sustainability: Ensuring the sustainability of projects after initial funding and addressing long-term community needs were ongoing challenges.

6. Transition:

• The BUB program was eventually replaced and integrated into the broader framework of the “Assistance to Disadvantaged Municipalities” (ADM) and later programs. These newer programs continued the approach of focusing on local development needs but with different implementation mechanisms.

7. Legacy:

• BUB left a significant legacy in promoting participatory governance in the Philippines. It demonstrated the potential of citizen involvement in budget processes and influenced subsequent government programs focused on local development and empowerment.

BUB was an innovative approach to governance that sought to democratize the budgeting process by bringing it closer to the people and ensuring that government spending reflected the priorities of those it aimed to serve.