Bunawan, Agusan del Sur – August 19, 2025 — The Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Caraga opened a two-day technical dialogue to sharpen fiscal accountability and align the College’s programs with national budget priorities.

The session covers the results of ASSCAT’s FY 2025 Mid-Year Performance Review and sets the direction for FY 2026 post-budget adjustments and FY 2027 pre-budget preparation. Discussions focus on project readiness, staffing modifications under NBC Phase 2, and mechanisms to ensure prudent programming and utilization of public funds.

DBM Caraga’s Paul A. Abarca, Chief Budget and Management Specialist (CBMS), and Geoffrey J. Abendaño, Supervising Budget and Management Specialist (SBMS), served as focal resource persons, providing technical guidance on budget reforms and performance evaluation. They underscored the need for shovel-ready priority programs that can withstand scrutiny under the government’s Budget Priorities Framework.

In line with National Budget Memorandum No. 153 (2024) and DBM Circular Letter No. 2025-2, ASSCAT’s performance review replaces the Full-Time Delivery Unit activity and intensifies monitoring of institutional financial and physical performance.

College President Dr. Joy C. Capistrano emphasized that the collaboration with DBM Caraga strengthens ASSCAT’s commitment to align resources with its academic and research mandate, while ensuring accountability in the use of government funds.

The outcomes of the dialogue are expected to inform ASSCAT’s FY 2026 resource allocation strategy and shape its FY 2027 budget proposal.