THE Local Government Code of 1991 devolved various government services to the provinces, municipalities and cities — commonly known as local government units (LGUs). Among these services are agriculture extension, forest management, health services, barangay roads and social welfare.
The law, Republic Act No. 7160, effectively transfers control and responsibility of delivering basic services to the hands of LGUs. Its original objective of establishing a devolved system as envisioned by the Corazon Aquino administration is an offshoot of the sentiment during those times of negating the Marcos-style concentration of power in the National Capital Region and the national government, thus consolidating political power for the dictatorship.
‘It has been two years since the SC ruling was promulgated, and 30 years since the Pimentel law…’
The aim of this law authored principally by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is praiseworthy. However, 30 years of our experiment in devolution proved that it has not been fully successful nor complete. It took the COVID-19 epidemic of 2020-2021 and still running to point out how LGUs were remiss in providing basic health services to the people, which only rich cities can fulfill.
Lack of funds, therefore, is the culprit why LGUs are unable to implement the law, and it took Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas to get a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court to have LGUs increase their share in internal revenue allotments (IRA). In April, 2019, the High Tribunal ruled that the share of local government units in the computation of the IRA is not limited to the national internal revenue taxes but also includes customs duties and other taxes collected by the national government.
It has been two years since the SC issued this ruling but the Department of Budget and Management has not complied, prompting the League of Governors to mount a clamor for constitutional change (Cha-cha) through the fast-track method of constituent assembly just to pressure the government to honor the Supreme Court decision.
But Cha-cha on this issue won’t be needed anymore with President Duterte’s signing of Executive Order 138 which basically mandates the Executive Department to comply with the SC ruling on the Mandanas case.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced that with this EO, full devolution of basic services and facilities from the national government to LGUs will finally begin this year.
It has been two years since the SC ruling was promulgated, and 30 years since the Pimentel law, and now the provinces, towns and cities have arrived at the gates of true and meaningful progress, but only if the present governors and mayors and those who will succeed them will handle well the bonanza of funds coming in the next few years.
It has been a long and arduous fight for the governors and mayors in this issue of funds haggling, and there should be no reason for them to drop the ball this time, through corruption and mismanagement.
