Governor's group elated by P82 B LGU development fund allocation
By Chito Chavez
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) lauded on Saturday, Feb. 28, the allocation of P82 billion for the development projects at the grassroot level.
ULAP national president Dakila “Dax’’ Cua said the fund approved by President Marcos is a "much-needed alignment on priorities and shared aspirations for greater local autonomy."
“We look forward to proving that this trust and investment in LGUs is not misplaced, and that we can be effective partners for growth,” said Cua.
Cua said that the meeting with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Feb. 18 was convened to discuss the rollout of the P57.88-billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and was attended by other Palace officials and 29 provincial governors, 16 city and municipal mayors, and seven representatives of governors.
He noted that the LGSF could be instrumental in helping LGUS craft meaningful programs that they could otherwise not finance out of their own funds.
The ULAP chief stressed that the priority programs on food security, health, education, infrastructure and livelihood received an extra infusion of funds which “could mean more benefits reaching more people.’’
Cua also urged LGUs to seek technical expertise in preparing their requests to access the LGSF, as he emphasized that “we need to ensure we are trying to address real issues by implementing well-thought-out programs.”
“Let’s be reminded that this fund isn’t automatic and is still subject to approval. That’s why I cannot state enough the importance of crafting real projects and preparing the requests well,” Cua said.