The Department of the Interior and Local Government National Capital Region held the Regional Decentralization Conference 2024 at the Arden Hills Suites, Quezon City on November 30, 2024. The conference presented issues and challenges in the national and local governments’ decentralization and devolution efforts due to the Mandanas-Garcia ruling of the Supreme Court. It also laid down the Department’s plan of action for the amendment of the Local Government Code of 1991.

In her opening remarks, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III, explained how the Mandanas ruling greatly affected the fiscal resources of both the national and the local governments, enabling the LGUs to allocate more funding to its local projects.

“This sets a unique opportunity for LGUs to assume functions that are devolved by the national government and allocate more budget to the local programs, projects, and activities that are tailor-fit to the priorities and needs of the region towards social and economic transformation – in our case, the National Capital Region,” said RD Agustin.

Development Management Officer III Clarizzah Joi D.L Tualla from the DILG-NCR Support for Local Governance Program gave a presentation on the Local Government Code Amendment Roadmap. The Roadmap tackles the strategies for reviewing and proposing amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991. Further, DMO III Tualla discussed the salient ideas on locally-led development and participatory governance.

Discussing the pressing issues in the education sector, Deputy Executive Director for Policy Advocacy and Communications Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Diane I. Fajardo-Valencia advocated for ramping up civil society organization’s participation in the local school board (LSB) in every LGU in the region. Meanwhile, Professor Maria Ela L. Atienza, PhD presented her book titled, “A Better Metro Manila? Towards Responsible Local Governance, Decentralization, and Equitable Development” which discusses challenges in governance, as well as, recommendations towards equitable development.

During the sharing session, Project Development Officer III Arthur Franz Tenorio from the DILG Decentralization and Local Governance Reform (DLGRAP) – Project Management Office (PMO) shared his experiences from the other Regional Decentralization Conferences throughout the country. Thereafter, the participants also shared their opinions on the current status of decentralization unique to the National Capital Region and asked about the common challenges across all regions when it comes to decentralization.

In her closing remarks, OIC Division Chief Maria Jasmin D. Diaz expressed her gratitude for the participants’ meaningful discussions and active participation. OIC-DC Diaz urged everyone to continuously intensify the decentralization efforts of the LGUs toward excellence in local governance and basic delivery service.

The DILG-NCR through its Support for Local Governance Program – Regional Core Team plans to further build effective, enhanced, and excellent LGUs through the promotion of full devolution. In response to this initiative, the Region plans to hold capacity-building programs and events for LGUs, especially related to fiscal development.