Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

DILG-NAPOLCOM Center, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City
http://www.dilg.gov.ph

FORMULATION/UPDATING OF THE BARANGAY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (BDP)

Reference Number:
Date:

1. Background

The barangay, as the basic political unit, "shall serve as the primary planning and
implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the
community". 1 Each local government unit (LGU) shall have a comprehensive multi­
sectoral development plan to be initiated by its development council and approved by its
Sanggunian.2 Indeed, the Barangay Development Council (BDC) plays a pivotal role in the
over-all development and progress of the barangay and is considered the mother of all
special bodies in the barangay being the umbrella organization of all barangay-based
institutions (BBIs). The BDC, primarily mandated to prepare the Barangay Development
Plan (BDP), should be informed and capacitated on the formulation and/or updating
process.

Based on the CY 2019 BDC Functionality Audit, there are only 28,006 barangays reported
to have formulated their respective BDPs. Reports have also reached the Department that
most of the barangays rely on their investment programs, instead of their BDP, in crafting
their annual budgets. Further, several studies show that the barangays find the process
"difficult and hard to sustain"3. The difficulty may be attributed to the technical process
in development planning. Hence, the need to refine and simplify the processes in order
to properly guide the barangays in formulating their respective BDPs.

In addition, the changing policy environment requires that sectoral and thematic
concerns are mainstreamed in the BDP. As such, the Magna Carta of Women requires
mainstreaming gender perspective in the crafting of the BDP, while the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 mandates that the local
development plans shall integrate the concerns on disaster risk reduction and climate
change adaptation. Recently, with the issuance of Executive Order No. 70 s. 2018 which
institutionalizes the whole-of-nation approach, the development at the barangay level is
put at the center of the strategies in achieving inclusive and sustainable peace.

Hence, the Department issues this Circular.

2. Purpose

2.1. This Circular is hereby issued to provide guidance in updating or formulating the
barangay development plans.

2.2. Specifically, this Circular intends to ensure that process and content in the
formulation or updating process is inclusive through the following considerations:

1 Section 384 of the Local Government Code of 1991

2 Section 106 of the Local Government Code of 1991
3
Co, E., et. al. (2004) Some experiences from the Philippines in urban community development planning. Retrieved
from https://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/G02083.pdf