The Committee on Devolution (ComDev), chaired by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, discussed the latest initiatives and strategies of various government agencies and leagues in line with the implementation of the full devolution under Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling.
Secretary Pangandaman presided the 6th ComDev meeting on Monday, 03 October 2022, which involved discussions on updates on the submission and evaluation of the National Government Agency (NGA) Devolution Transition Plans (DTPs), review of the functions/services/Programs, Activities, and Projects (PAPs) for full devolution, and presentation of the Draft Executive Order (EO) amending EO No. 138.
“This is another crucial step towards our goal of pursuing full devolution and our manifestation of collective efforts towards fulfilling the marching order of the President to get this moving. So far, we continue to set important things in motion with the updates on the submission and evaluation of the National Government Agency DTPs,” Secretary Pangandaman said.
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balicasan, meanwhile pointed out the importance of discussing the proposed amendments in order to ensure that Filipinos will achieve equal opportunities for growth and development.
“An important contribution of the proposed amendment is the clarification and the guiding principles that might clear certain instances… so we can ensure that everyone has, regardless of their place of residence, has equal opportunity for equal economic or social opportunities,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
To date, there are 18 DTPs received by the DBM out of the 20 that are expected from NGAs concerned. Of the 18 NGA DTPs submitted, two have already been approved: the Department of Health (DOH) and Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM). Copies of the approved DTPs are accessible via the DBM website.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the review of functions that should be devolved to LGUs vis-a-vis those that should remain with the national government and the extension of the period for the devolution of some functions up to 2027.
Under this guidance, the committee has taken into consideration the recommendations of the member agencies and agreed to review EO 138.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that in order to achieve full decentralization, adjustments should be undertaken by both national and local governments.
“The devolved functions are local infrastructures, basic health care, social welfare, and agricultural extensions. Those are the core expenditure responsibilities, and that is where the functions must be devolved,” Secretary Diokno said.
For his part, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. said that the capacity and priorities of LGUs must be considered in devolution.
“Devolution should be contingent on the LGU, development priorities, capacity, and availability of resources. Devolution should be transitioned based on magnitude, technical requirement, and nature of programs, projects and activities,” Secretary Abalos said.
The presentation of the Draft EO amending EO No. 138 was presented to the committee members. The ComDev agreed to form a technical working group to consider the inputs of the LGU leagues and convene after two weeks to approve the draft amendatory EO. The secretariat will continue to engage with the stakeholders in the next two weeks to finalize the draft for presentation to the President.
“Moving forward, we will continue to strengthen coordination and extend necessary assistance to empower our LGUs in accordance with the Local Government Code and the Mandanas-Garcia ruling. We believe that effective devolution will be achieved if our LGUs are fully capacitated, both technically and financially,” Secretary Pangandaman stated.
Also present in the meeting were Deputy Executive Secretary for Internal Audit Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, League of Provinces of the Philippines representative Governor Hermilando Mandanas, League of Cities of the Philippines Executive Director Veronica Hitosis, League of Municipalities of the Philippines Mayor Cynthia Falcotelo-Fortes, Liga ng mga Barangay ng Pilipinas Executive Director Louvkee Fanlo, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines Executive Director Aileen Leycano, among others.
###
