In line with the continuing efforts to ensure an efficient and smooth devolution process, the DILG-NCR together with the Department of Budget and Management-NCR convened the Regional Committee on Devolution (ComDev) for the second time last December 10, 2021, via Zoom Teleconferencing.

Said meeting oriented members on the accomplishments of the committee for the third quarter and helped them strategize interventions to address the pressing issues and concerns raised by Metro Manila LGUs in the formulation and submission of their devolution transition plans due this month.

City Directors and Cluster Heads of DILG NCR Field Offices were also in attendance for them to directly obtain timely updates on the key developments in the DTP submission in the region.

According to the report of DILG-NCR Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn Baltazar-Cortez, 85% of barangays in NCR have already submitted their DTPs as of December 9, while several LGUs are already in the final review stage of their LGU DTPs in order to meet the December 12 deadline.

Challenges that hamper the completion of DTPs point to the restrictions in the effective coaching and monitoring of LGU officials due to the pandemic as well as the pending revisions in order to improve the DTPs of national agencies.

However, in the words of NCR ComDev Co-Chair and DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin, the meeting was an avenue for the Regional ComDev members to level off with each other and to reinvigorate their commitment to collaborate on the strategies to best cascade the devolvable functions to LGUs.

Part of the concrete actions that the ComDev will take is to expand its membership further with the addition of DPWH and DOST-NCR. The body also initiated steps in order to be constituted as a special committee under the Regional Development Council of Metro Manila.

DBM-NCR and Chair of the Comdev RD Ruby Muro concluded the activity and assured the body that all issues raised will be elevated to the national ComDev for resolution.

“RD Agustin and I hope that we will all continue to coordinate and ensure our focus so that the LGUs’ needs in NCR are well provided for,” she said.

The Regional ComDev will take off by 2022, as the first year of the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia petitions, fully committed to provide the necessary technical support to NCR LGUs in every step of the way.