House Speaker Martin Romualdez speaking during the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (Speaker’s Office)

Following the directive of President Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez has assured top local government unit (LGU) officials that the House of Representatives would set aside a larger share of the annual national budget for them.

“Ang utos ng ating Pangulo: gawin lahat ang nararapat at kailangan para makinabang ang inyong mga komunidad sa pag-unlad ng buong bansa,” said Romualdez.

(The instruction of our President: do everything that is appropriate and necessary to benefit your communities in the development of the entire country.)

“Ramdam po ng national government ang pangangailangan ninyo. Alam namin na kailangan ninyo ang lahat ng tulong mula sa national government para mai-angat ang kabuhayan ng ating mamamayan,” he added.

(The national government feels your need. We know that you need all the help from the national government to improve the livelihood of our people.)

Romualdez gave this statement Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 27, during this year’s general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

The conference’s theme was “Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) Localization: Pathway to Sustainable Municipal Development”.

Citing the Supreme Court’s (SC) Mandanas ruling, he said the House will allocate more funds to LGUs through national taxes.

“This ruling signifies a transformative shift, aimed at enhancing the fiscal autonomy of LGUs, thereby empowering you to better address local developmental needs. The 2024 budget reflects this change, ensuring a larger portion of the national tax allotment (NTA) is directed to local governments,” he explained.

However, the Speaker acknowledged that even with the increase, the funds may not be sufficient to fully meet the developmental needs of LGUs.

With this, he noted that the executive branch and the two chambers of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—are committed to working collaboratively to “identify and harness additional resources necessary for LGUs to effectively realize their development goals”.

Romualdez said a budget hike will allow LGUs to foster local development projects.

“Acknowledging this crucial role, it becomes a collective responsibility of the House of Representatives to ensure you are equipped with the essential resources for these monumental tasks,” the Leyte lawmaker said.

The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations(UN) member countries which provide a roadmap on how to transform the planet so everyone can live in peace, prosperity, and dignity.

“Tackling the SDGs independently is a challenging endeavor, but collectively, through our shared efforts and the Filipino spirit of 'bayanihan' (cooperation), we can make the path less daunting and more attainable. Let's seek collaborative opportunities beyond political lines, to build a Philippines that every Filipino aspires for,” Romualdez further said.

He says the lower chamber is now deliberating on several bills aimed at further increasing the budget allotment share of LGUs through national taxes.