The League of Municipalities of the Philippines expressed its unwavering support for the development agenda of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., detailed in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, following the presentation of the LMP National 2023 General Assembly Declaration at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday.
LMP National President Mayor Joseph Santo Niño “JB” Bernos of La Paz, Abra presented the declaration to Mr. Marcos, who graced this year’s league assembly with the theme, “Strengthening Municipal Capabilities Around Autonomy and Fostering Resiliency.”
In a declaration, the municipal mayors reiterated their position and call “for strengthened complementation between the national and local governments.”
They said this is “one of the cornerstones in achieving the national goal for actualized economic and social transformations to reinvigorate employment generation and to accelerate poverty reduction as articulated in the newly minted PDP plan.”
“This declaration, therefore, is a testament to our unwavering support of the Marcos Administration’s development agenda and a show of our solid commitment to continuously partner with the national government, coupled with collaborative action and cooperation between local authorities, towards the shared goal of a better Philippines in 2028,” the LMP said.
The group also appealed for the revision of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Executive No. 138 (Full Devotion of Certain Functions of the Executive Branch to Local Governments) to highlight its lengthened timeline implementation.
This would give ample time for local governments to put in place transitory systems to cater to the changes and full assumption of revolver roles and responsibilities prescribed under the approved Devolution Transition Plans (DTPs).
Moreover, the LMP asserted that municipalities be allowed to make decisions and craft solutions that are localized tailored fit, and responsive to local needs and contexts.
“When local governments have the power to make decisions and the requisite resources, they can streamline services and respond, appropriately and timely, to identify the needs of localities and the people,” its statement said.
The President affirmed his administration’s support for the devolution of functions to local governments.
In his speech, Mr. Marcos said the national government is reviewing EO No. 138.
“We will use this one year to study EO 138 carefully. We should see that some functions that were given to local governments should not have been given to them at all,” he said.
The President also emphasized the theme of the gathering, as well as the cooperation of the national and local governments to address the problems of Filipinos in every community.
“You can count on this administration to keep listening to you,” he said.
The three-day conference from February 21-23, 2023, highlighted the various challenges facing municipal mayors, and the planned improvements to make service delivery more efficient in their localities.
The annual meeting serves as an avenue for updating and discussions on the development activities of the municipal mayors.
The LMP was created through Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which mandates an organization of all municipalities in the country “that shall convert issues affecting municipal government management and formulate solutions to such matters.”
Part of the LMP’s powers, functions, and duties is to assist the national government in the formulation and implementation of the policies, programs, and projects affecting municipalities in the country, promote local autonomy at the municipal level, and supplement the efforts of the national government in creating opportunities for gainful employment within the municipalities.