In the second of a series of online dialogues with its personnel, the DILG-NCR on July 8 focused its talks on the looming transition to full devolution.
Executive Order No. 138 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte kick-starts the regional office’s efforts to ensure that Metro Manila LGUs are prepared and empowered to take on greater responsibilities as they receive their fair share of government funds.
Under EO 138, select functions, services, and facilities of certain national government agencies related to local infrastructure, health care, livelihood, agriculture, and social welfare, among others, will be transferred to LGUs in accordance with their increased fiscal resources.
This is in relation to the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the petitions of Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia Jr. affirming that LGUs are entitled to just shares from all national taxes collected, not just internal revenues.
According to DBM Local Government and Regional Coordination Bureau Director John Aries Macaspac, LGUs will receive additional funds amounting to PHP 263 billion, or 37% of their current national tax allotment, in 2022 when full devolution takes effect, which will increase the total share of LGUs in national taxes to PHP 959 Billion for that year.
However, LGUs will need to have their own Devolution Transition Plan, as well as Capacity Development Agenda, to serve as their guide for the effective delivery of services and efficient utilization of government resources.
The DBM and the DILG, according to Bureau of Local Government Development Assistant Director Alfonso Maralli, Jr., are set to release a joint memorandum circular (JMC) detailing the specific roles and responsibilities of the LGUs in relation to EO 138. LGUs will then be required to submit their DTPs 120 days after the issuance of the JMC.
Both agencies, together with the Bureau of Local Government Finance of the Department of Finance, will cover public financial management processes, such as local planning, investment programming, resource mobilization, and budgeting, in their LGU capacity development efforts.
DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin mentioned that aside from the Local Government Academy (LGA), which is tasked to oversee the capacity development interventions for local governments, the region’s Center for the Advancement of Local Governance (LGRRC-NCR) will provide the necessary assistance and serve as the convergence platform for the concerned NGAs and NCR LGUs.
A dialogue through the Center will be conducted in the succeeding months to lay down the devolved services and functions of the concerned NGAs, which will serve as the guide for NCR LGUs in preparing their DTPs and CapDev agendas.
Meanwhile, LGA’s Angelina Layugan announced that the National Coaches Training for the CapDev agenda, involving the technical and field officers of the DILG-NCR, will commence on August 9 and will run for two weeks. After which, coaching of their respective LGUs is planned for the third and fourth quarters of 2021. #