BAGUIO CITY, Sept. 16 (PIA) - - The current administration recognizes people as center of public service, a senior official of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) stressed during the "Dagyaw" Open Government Participatory Governance regional town hall meeting here on Tuesday.

Undersecretary Janet Abuel explained that recognizing the importance of putting people first at the heart of any government undertaking, President Rodrigo Duterte created the Participatory Governance Cluster (PGC) through Executive Order No. 24 issued in 2017.

"The President tasked the PGC to enhance citizens engagement in governance to feel the pulse of the masses, listen to their sentiments and facilitate government response," she said.

Abuel explained that in line with the PGC's mandate, they launched the "Dagyaw" program through DBM, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

The program serves as a venue for the government to communicate the good governance reform of the Duterte administration; as a platform for regional stakeholders to clarify and raise local concerns through direct interfacing and discussion of potential collaboration with senior government officials and for citizen to access a one-stop-shop of frontline government services and national programs of the regional level.

It started last year covering six regions, and this year it is being rolled out in all 16 regions of the country where priority issues in each region are discussed among the participating sectors and senior officials of concerned government agencies.

"Putting emphasis on the value of unity and togetherness, we envision Dagyaw to be one of our national government's main campaigns to promote a productive and sincere engagement with the Filipino people," Abuel said.

She added that Dagyaw 'reminds us of our share of citizens in achieving the common vision of good quality of life to actively work together in nation building and to exercise our right and goals as responsible Filipino whether as public servant or private citizen.

"To come together as one nation and one society is what the President asks of us. Sana po maitanim po natin yon hindi lang sa ating utak kundi sa ating puso," Abuel said.

For the Baguio leg of the Dagyaw, the issues discussed were on environment, tourism and Build Build Build program of the government. Among the agencies that participated in the Government Service Fair included PAG-IBIG, Social Security System, Department of Labor and Employment, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, Dept. of Trade and Industry, Dept. of Science and Technology, DBM, DILG, PCOO, Philippine Information Agency, and Dept. of Tourism.

"Dagyaw" is a Haligaynon term meaning "Bayanihan" or to be united, a mutual sharing and help that reflects the symbiotic relationship between members of a group.(JDP/(MBL- PIA CAR)