The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) has committed support to the economic development agenda of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., saying the partnership between the national and local government units (LGUs) has been a tried-and-tested formula to maximize the benefits to the Filipino people.
The declaration of support was presented by LMP National President and La Paz, Abra Mayor Joseph Santo Niño “JB” Bernos to Marcos during the LMP National 2023 General Assembly Declaration at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Marcos served as the guest of honor and speaker during the event with the theme 'Strengthening Municipal Capabilities Around Autonomy and Fostering Resiliency.’
Bernos said the Marcos administration’s development agenda are detailed in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.
In the declaration of support, the municipal mayors reiterated their position and call “for strengthened complementation between the national and local governments as one of the cornerstones in achieving the national goal for actualized economic and social transformations to reinvigorate employment generation and to accelerate poverty reduction as articulated in the newly-minted PDP plan.”
“This declaration, therefore, is a testament to our unwavering support of the Marcos Administration’s development agenda and a show of our solid commitment to continuously partner with the national government, coupled with collaborative action and cooperation between local authorities, towards the shared goal of a better Philippines in 2028,” the LMP declaration read.
The LMP was created through Republic Act 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, which states that there shall be an organization of all municipalities in the country that shall convert issues affecting municipal government management and formulate solutions to such matters.
Part of the LMP’s powers, functions, and duties is to ‘assist the national government in the formulation and implementation of the policies, programs, and projects affecting municipalities’ in the country, ‘promote local autonomy at the municipal level’ and ‘supplement the efforts of the national government in creating opportunities for gainful employment within the municipalities’.
Revision of EO 138’s IRR
The LMP also appealed for the revision of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Executive No. 138 (Full Devotion of Certain Functions of the Executive Branch to Local Governments).
The move, according to the LMP, will highlight the lengthened timeline implementation whnich would give ample time for local governments to put in place transitory systems to cater to the changes and full assumption of revolver roles and responsibilities prescribed under the approved Devolution Transition Plans (DTPs).
Meanwhile, the LMP stated to allow municipalities to make decisions and craft solutions that are localized, tailored fit, and responsive to local needs and contexts.
“When local governments have the power to make decisions and the requisite resources, they can streamline services and respond, appropriately and timely, to identify the needs of localities and the people,” the LMP said in a statement.
During the LMP assembly, Marcos affirmed his administration's support for the devolution of local governments.
In his speech, Marcos said the national government is reviewing E.O No. 138: “We will use this one year (2023) to review the EO 138 because there are functions that are given to the LGUs but are not actually for the local level.”
The President also emphasized the theme of the gathering as well as the cooperation of the national and local governments to address the problems of Filipinos in every community.
The three-day conference from February 21-23, 2023, highlighted the various challenges facing municipal mayors, and the planned improvements to make service delivery more efficient in their localities. This annual meeting serves as an avenue for updating and discussions on the development activities of the municipal mayors.