The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it will come up with a menu of priority items that will be devolved to local government units (LGUs) as well as a transition plan to do it in phases.
Amenah Pangandaman, budget secretary, said yesterday the DBM is reviewing the executive order (EO) which is in line with the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case involving the devolution of pertinent functions to LGUs.
Pangandaman also said the implementation of big-ticket projects will remain with the national government for now.
“We’re still reviewing it now, so maybe we’ll present to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the President and secretary of Finance and the National Economic and Development Authority within this week,” Pangandaman told reporters.
“We’ll just prioritize, we’ll come up with a menu and a transition plan, phasing of our devolution, because I think the LGUs cannot implement other projects (at this time),” she added.
Pangandaman clarified that items identified for devolution under the EO will remain but will be done in phases.
“Big-ticket infrastructure projects and big-ticket items should still be with the national government,” Pangandaman said.
Earlier, the budget chief said aligned with the President’s SONA (State of the Nation Address) message of empowering LGUs, the DBM will uphold EO No. 138, which provides for the implementation of the full devolution of certain national government functions to the LGUs.
Pangandaman said the DBM issued Local Budget Circular No. 146 dated July 7, 2022, prescribing the guidelines on the release and utilization of the Local Government Support Fund-Growth Equity Fund, while the DILG initiated capacity development efforts and interventions in support of full devolution.
Pangandaman said the Committee on Devolution, led by the DBM and DILG, will reevaluate and strengthen the framework upon which the devolution will be anchored to ensure continuous and efficient delivery of essential government services, while promoting local economic growth and autonomy.
