Abalos seeks amendments to outdated Local Government Code

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FORMER Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. yesterday underscored the need to amend the Local Government Code of 1991, saying it no longer meets the needs of many local governments across the country today.

Abalos, also a former Mandaluyong City mayor, said the Local Government Cide spells out how the national government, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays should operate but added its provisions are already outdated.

“It (Local government Code) has been there for over 30 years. We’ve found a lot of problems that need to be fixed,” Abalos said.

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With many barangays and municipalities struggling to fund essential services like road construction and school buildings, Abalos believes that updating the Code is crucial to ensuring local governments can meet the needs of their people.

He said many barangays and smaller municipalities don’t have enough money to support infrastructure projects that Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code) has delegated to them.

“For instance, barangays are expected to build, repair and maintain barangay roads under RA 7160, but in many places, especially those in the far-flung barangays and 4th to 5th class municipalities, they simply don’t have the financial capability. The same goes for schools–LGUs are supposed to handle their construction, but smaller and low-income LGUs simply can’t fund it,” he said.

Abalos said as the DILG secretary, he commissioned a study with the help of the Local Government Academy and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines to review the Local Government Code.

He said their findings had been submitted to President Marcos Jr. before he resigned to run for senator under the Alyansa Para sa Pagbabago 2025.

Abalos said he will be pushing for these recommendations to be passed into law.

Abalos said there are certain areas, like agriculture and health, that should be handled by the national government instead of being left to local governments.

Another key point Abalos raised is the need for more modern healthcare facilities, especially in poorer provinces since “not all provinces can afford to build a tertiary hospital, even a secondary, and procure advanced equipment, like for intubation.”

“The national government needs to step in and provide support for these areas,” Abalos said.

Abalos pointed out that RA 7160 was created long before the internet became a vital part of daily life and governance, adding the revisions should include provisions that empower local governments to harness technology in delivering public services more efficiently.

“The world has changed. The way we govern has changed. Our laws need to keep up,” he added.

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