Only 39 Bohol towns get

P200K BBMP grants yet

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Eighty one percent, that is 39 of Bohol’s 47 towns and one city has already claimed their P200,000 Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program (BBMP) grants, reports the Department of Interior and Local Government officer recently.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, DILG local government operations officer V and BBM program focal person Joycelou Telmo explained that BBM is a nationwide initiative directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to strengthen the grassroots governance, supporting deserving college students and address priority development needs of barangays.

She could not also explain why the remaining nine towns have not yet received the grant especially allocated for Bohol’s 1,109 barangays.

Under the BBM program, every one of the country’s 42,010 barangays is allocated P200,000 from the Office of the President’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund, she said.

A program with two components, BBM’s P200,000 per barangay would have half oof the amount for Bagong Pilipinas Barangay Scholars (BPBS) and the other half for Assistance for Barangay Identified Development Priorities, Telmo explained.

For the BPBS, the P100,000 is set to provide a finisher fund of P20,000 each for five deserving students from the barangay to help them complete college education.

According to the program implementing guidelines in DILG Memorandum Circular 2026-038, eligible scholars should be barangay residents who are incoming fourth-year college students for school year 2026-2027 from vulnerable households and at risk of dropping out.

The slot prioritizes students with families where no member has yet completed tertiary education, she added.

If the barangay happens to have no 4th year students available, the Barangay Committee on Education may select 3rd year college students or TESDA scholars with national certification.

To allow a leeway for barangays too, the DILG has expressly allowed local committees to input additional criteria as long as these are documented and applied in fair, just and transparent manner, LGOO V Telmo said.

As to the other P100,000 assistance for Barangay-Identified Development Priorities, the DILG official reiterated that its purpose is to enable barangays to buy equipment consistent with immediate operational and community needs.

In short, the allocation is suited for the procurement of equipment to advance public service like patrol vehicles, monobloc chairs, steel pipe tents, heavy industrial fans or CCTV sets, or it can also be used to but office equipment like 3 in one printers, desktop computers or projectors.

Or the barangay may put up DRRM infrastructure as solar streetlights, generators and floodwater pumps, but it is never used for infrastructure projects, honoraria, salaries, wages and personnel related expenditures.

Telmo also stressed that since the DILG is assigned to monitor and evaluate the program, as to the scholars, the beneficiaries, after acknowledging receipt, has to make sure they pass or they are to explain to the barangay committee why they failed.

Barangays are also required to submit liquidation reports to the Commission on Audit and Fund Utilization Report to the Office of the President, while the Liga ng Mga Barangays and the DILG National Barangay Operations Office are tasked to monitor the implementation. (PIAbohol)

P200K PER BARANGAY. DILG LGOO 5 Joyce Telmo bared that the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has allocated from his Presidential Socio-Civic Funds P200 K for each of the country’s 42,000 barangays, the grant would be used for barangay scholars’ finishing funds and for priority projects which barangays identified. The grant is for 2026-2027. (PIAbohol)

Aumentado declares outbreak,

directs LGU dengue response

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—With a 1,883 recorded dengue cases and 21 fatalities since January, the cases overshooting past the epidemic threshold for the past three consecutive weeks, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado declares a dengue outbreak and orders local government units (LGU) to mobilize into a united action against disease through vector control strategies.

Through Executive Order No 40, series of 2026, Aumentado directed all local government units for local legislation on the implementation of enhanced 4S strategy, reactivation of the local dengue task force and Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD) as well as collaborate with stakeholders for prompt anti-dengue response.

In a separate Executive Order No 41, the governor also reactivated the Provincial Anti Dengue Task Force headed by the Provincial Health Officer and composed of all government hospital directors, health organizations leaders as well as government agencies with mandates on health, disaster and on local government administration.

The task Force spearheads the execution of 4 o’clock habit, ABKD, leads information campaigns, monitors and assists local dengue task forces in dengue elimination in communities.

In EO No, 40, Aumentado directed LGUs to mobilize households, schools, communities to conduct Search and Destroy activities for mosquito breeding sites through the 4 o’clock habit.

With the building cases needing immediate attention, the order also includes LGUS keeping health facilities to establish Dengue Fast Lanes, ensure proper patient referral based on DOH guidelines, especially the implementation of 1-3-7 intensified vector control strategies in all confirmed dengue cases.

The 1-3-7 vector control strategy is a rapid-response protocol used by all health authorities under the Department of Health Memorandum No. 2025-0420 to contain mosquito-borne disease outbreaks by tracking timelines for investigation and containment.

It means by day 1 or upon case reporting, an initial investigation, and immediate source reduction by identifying and removing stagnant water and breeding sites around the patient's residence is done.

By day 3, authorities have to deploy larviciding measures like safe chemicals or biological controls to kill mosquito larvae in water containers that cannot be discarded.

On day 7, authorities have to execute fogging operations in the identified hotspot area to eliminate adult vector mosquitoes and prevent further transmission.

For LGUs, the Executive Order frees emergency funds for the purchase of essential supplies and services needed for effective dengue control.

Owing to the current dengue situation, there is an urgent need to escalate and intensify dengue outbreak management measures to control dengue transmission and prevent more deaths, Aumentado said. (PIAbohol)

MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES. Gov Erico Aristotle Aumentado issues Executive Orders No 41 and 41, declaring a dengue outbreak in Bohol and forming the Provincial Task Force to lead the campaign to the grassroots, as Bohol records 21 deaths associated with dengue as of August 22. (PIAbohol/PIMO)