Strengthen nat'l-local gov't partnership --- PBBM
Published May 17, 2023 04:58 am
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has called on local government units (LGUs) to help boost the partnership between the national and local governments to advance the administration's development agenda.
(https://images.mb.com.ph/production/mb-mkt-neo-prod-1-uploads/President_Ferdinand_Bongbong_Marcos_Jr_Malacanang_photo_4ba5348d78/President_Ferdinand_Bongbong_Marcos_Jr_Malacanang_photo_4ba5348d78.jfif)
*President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)*
Marcos said this during the oathtaking ceremony for the newly elected Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) officers in Malacañang on Tuesday, May 16. In his speech, the President said the national and local governments should complement each other in carrying out various programs to uplift people's lives. "We need your help in the national government. We have to work together," he said. "We have to know what the local conditions are. Hanggang sa political rivalries kailangan malaman natin (We need to be informed up to the political rivalries). All of these things are important," he added. Marcos said the partnership between the national and local governments will allow the country to save resources. "Let's strengthen this partnership that we have, the locals-- local and national government-- because that's the only way that we can maximize the resources and the time and the energy that we are spending for," he said. "No matter how brilliant and beautiful plans are, if they are not implemented, they won't have much impact on the people," he added. According to Marcos, the administration was trying to balance preserving local government autonomy and enabling LGUs to work with the national government. "Para maging maayos naman ang patakbo natin para in sync ang local government at saka sa national government (So that we can run the government efficiently and that the local and national government would be in sync)," he said. The President likewise vowed to assist local governments, particularly municipalities, improve their capability as the national government devolves its function to the LGUs as a result of the Mandanas ruling of the Supreme Court. Last March, Marcos [ordered government agencies to study Executive Order (EO) No. 138](https://mb.com.ph/2023/3/22/marcos-eo-138-review-not-an-alternative-to-proposed-charter-change) for possible amendments and to determine what national government functions should be devolved to the LGU following SC's Mandanas ruling. When the Marcos administration took over last year, many LGUs raised concerns about their inability and lack of preparation for adopting full devolution, particularly on big-ticket and high-impact projects. EO 138, s. 2021 was issued to support the efficient implementation of the SC ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case and strengthen the autonomy and empowerment of LGUs. It directs the full devolution of certain Executive branch functions to the LGUs. Also, it provides for creating a Committee on Devolution to monitor the implementation of the EO. The SC ruled in 2018 that the just share of LGUs from the national taxes is not limited to "national internal revenue taxes" collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other tax-collecting agencies. Under the Mandanas ruling, the national government is mandated to expand the share of LGUs in tax collection. On the other hand, LGUs must handle the responsibility of operating social services like agriculture, connectivity, and health within their jurisdictions.
Marcos said this during the oathtaking ceremony for the newly elected Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) officers in Malacañang on Tuesday, May 16. In his speech, the President said the national and local governments should complement each other in carrying out various programs to uplift people's lives. "We need your help in the national government. We have to work together," he said. "We have to know what the local conditions are. Hanggang sa political rivalries kailangan malaman natin (We need to be informed up to the political rivalries). All of these things are important," he added. Marcos said the partnership between the national and local governments will allow the country to save resources. "Let's strengthen this partnership that we have, the locals-- local and national government-- because that's the only way that we can maximize the resources and the time and the energy that we are spending for," he said. "No matter how brilliant and beautiful plans are, if they are not implemented, they won't have much impact on the people," he added. According to Marcos, the administration was trying to balance preserving local government autonomy and enabling LGUs to work with the national government. "Para maging maayos naman ang patakbo natin para in sync ang local government at saka sa national government (So that we can run the government efficiently and that the local and national government would be in sync)," he said. The President likewise vowed to assist local governments, particularly municipalities, improve their capability as the national government devolves its function to the LGUs as a result of the Mandanas ruling of the Supreme Court. Last March, Marcos [ordered government agencies to study Executive Order (EO) No. 138](https://mb.com.ph/2023/3/22/marcos-eo-138-review-not-an-alternative-to-proposed-charter-change) for possible amendments and to determine what national government functions should be devolved to the LGU following SC's Mandanas ruling. When the Marcos administration took over last year, many LGUs raised concerns about their inability and lack of preparation for adopting full devolution, particularly on big-ticket and high-impact projects. EO 138, s. 2021 was issued to support the efficient implementation of the SC ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case and strengthen the autonomy and empowerment of LGUs. It directs the full devolution of certain Executive branch functions to the LGUs. Also, it provides for creating a Committee on Devolution to monitor the implementation of the EO. The SC ruled in 2018 that the just share of LGUs from the national taxes is not limited to "national internal revenue taxes" collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other tax-collecting agencies. Under the Mandanas ruling, the national government is mandated to expand the share of LGUs in tax collection. On the other hand, LGUs must handle the responsibility of operating social services like agriculture, connectivity, and health within their jurisdictions.