Day: August 4, 2026

Budget Office holds Citizen Meeting with community representatives from the Cristo Rey sector

The meeting brought together sector organizations and community leaders who carry out social oversight in the community. The General Directorate of Budget (DIGEPRES) held a Citizen Meeting on Budgeting with representatives of community organizations in Cristo Rey as part of its institutional commitment to transparency, citizen participation, and social control in the management of public resources. The event also aimed to exchange ideas and inform attendees about how public resources are planned and managed in the budgeting process. The opening remarks were delivered by the Director General of Budget, José Rijo Presbot, who, in welcoming the participants, stated that these dialogues allow for the identification of solutions and the development of alternatives for increasingly efficient public management focused on the needs of the population. Similarly, the Director of Budget explained the role of the institution he leads, highlighting its responsibilities and coordination efforts as the governing body with the implementing institutions that manage projects, resources, and provide services to the public. “Our collaborative work promotes teamwork in decision-making and ongoing coordination with public institutions that contribute to the country's development,” said José Rijo Presbot during his remarks. The event also included the participation of Airon Fernández, specialist in Economic Studies and Financial Monitoring; Manaury Valerio, Vice Minister of Planning and Educational Development at the Ministry of Education; and Yari Martínez, president of the Cristo Rey, Manuel Álvarez Neighborhood Association. Airon Fernández, in his presentation, explained the origins of the Citizen Meeting. This initiative, promoted by DIGEPRES since 2021, brings the public budget closer to the public, fosters transparency, and strengthens social oversight. Fernández also indicated that, for a long time, the public budget was perceived as a complex document reserved for technicians and specialists; however, the current approach promotes a clearer and more accessible language for the public regarding how state resources are distributed and spent. During the event, Jenny Méndez, president of the Cristo Rey Community Participation Movement, thanked DIGEPRES, its director, and the team for providing this opportunity for citizen participation. She explained that the purpose of the meeting was not only to present demands but also to create collaborative mechanisms between the community and the state institutions that carry out projects in the area. The meeting's agenda included several sessions, which can be summarized as follows: a description of the community's demands by Yari Martínez, president of the Manuel Álvarez Neighborhood Association; institutional guidance on the demands presented by Manaury Valerio, Vice Minister of Planning and Educational Development; and an open mic session that facilitated dialogue and information exchange between the Cristo Rey residents and the technical teams. The technical teams provided clear and precise institutional responses regarding the status of the projects mentioned by the community members, including scheduled completion dates. As a result of the Citizen Meeting, a permanent channel of coordination was established between the participating institutions.