The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released new guidelines on the release and utilization of financial assistance to local government units (LGUs) under the national budget for the year.
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the new guidelines for the Local Government Support Fund - Financial Assistance to LGUs and support for capital outlays and social programs (LGSF-FA to LGUs) aim to effectively implement digitalization.
“The DBM continues to adopt measures that will effectively implement digital transformation and ease of doing business,” Pangandaman said in a statement on Friday, March 10.
“We are fully embracing digitalization in the DBM, including the submission of request for financial assistance under the Local Government Support Fund,” she added.
The guidelines are provided under Local Budget Circular No. 150 dated March 8, 2023 signed by Pangandaman.
“We hope that through this new measure, we can help to ease the processing of fund request for LGUs’ different programs and projects,” the budget chief said.
As per the new guidelines, the submission of requests for financial assistance, chargeable against the LGSF-FA to LGUs shall only be made through the Digital Requests Submission for Local Government Support Fund (DRSL) found in the DBM Apps Portal.
All documents submitted by the LGU through other means shall be automatically denied.
DBM Regional Offices concerned or the next higher level of LGU may provide assistance to the requesting LGU in case of difficulty in accessing the DSRL due to various reasons, such as geographical location, device and/or internet connection problems, among others.
To prevent scammers, middlemen, fraudulent individuals or organized groups from making representations that they are able to influence or facilitate the release of the LGSF-FA to LGUs, the DBM shall directly deal only with the local chief executive of the LGU concerned.
Pursuant to the Special Provision (SP) of LGSF under the 2023 GAA, the amount appropriate for the LGSF-FA includes P1,925,500,000 for financial assistance to LGUs and P7,236,336,000 for support for capital outlays and social programs to LGUs.
The appropriated funds are in support of the implementation of agriculture-related programs and projects; Information and Communications Technology systems and infrastructure development; and the construction, maintenance, development, and/or rehabilitation of various projects, such as green open spaces, infrastructure for active mobility, elevated or at-grade pedestrian footpaths and walkways, and multi-purpose building.