President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the critical role of local government units (LGUs) in the national development agenda. This during the second day of the second day of the Local Governance Summit last August 23, 2024, held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
The President acknowledged the significance of the Local Governance Summit, with over 3000 locally elected officials and local functionaries present as a platform for capacitating local executives and improving service delivery.
“This summit is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the huge responsibility that we all hold in our hands—the ability to transform our respective communities and the lives of those in them under the banner of [a] Bagong Pilipinas,” he stated.
One of the highlights of the President’s speech was his announcement regarding the proposed amendment to EO No. 138. The EO deals with deviating functions, services, and facilities from the national government to local governments per the Supreme Court’s Mandanas ruling.
Executive Order 138 was the executive branch’s response to the Supreme Court’s Mandanas-Garcia ruling–which mandated a more extensive share of national taxes for local government units (LGUs). The order outlines the devolution of certain functions from the national government to LGUs, ensuring they have the financial resources and administrative capacity to effectively fulfill these responsibilities.
“We have been working on this for a good long while and I think we have found a formula wherein we divide the funding according to the way that we determine services belong to—as a responsibility to the national government, other services belong to the local government,” the President said.
He likewise mentioned that the new amendment would provide clearer parameters on which responsibilities belong to the national government and which to the local government. This is intended to ensure that both levels of government can efficiently fulfill their roles, particularly in implementing and localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The national government is here always to assist and to find ways for you in your specific communities on how we can improve the situation,” President Marcos added while highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting LGUs in this transition.
Another critical point in his address was the emphasis on digital transformation within LGUs. He pointed that in the current age of technological advancement, local governments must adopt digital tools and strategies to enhance efficiency and streamline processes.
To support this, the government is conducting caravans nationwide to promote the adoption of the eLGU system to serve as an electronic business one-stop-shop to make government transactions more convenient for the public.
“Truly, in a time when communities and societies have embraced digitalization, there is no excuse for governments, national or local, to allow themselves to be left behind,” the President said while urging local executives to lead in the adoption of smart solutions.
President Marcos also addressed pressing public health concerns, specifically on the surge in leptospirosis and dengue cases linked to improper waste management and called on local chief executives to adopt environmentally sound waste disposal methods and to lead aggressive information campaigns promoting public health and hygiene.
The President pointed to the KALINISAN Program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as a key initiative in this effort and encouraged continued active participation from LGUs.
President Marcos urged local leaders to remain committed to the principles of good governance and to work closely with the national government to achieve the shared goals of a more prosperous and resilient “Bagong Pilipinas.”
The Local Governance Summit, organized by the DILG in collaboration with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) ran from August 22 to 23. It served as a critical forum for discussing governance reforms, trends, and other innovative strategies to enhance local governance across the country.
