ONLY local government units who received a seal of “good housekeeping” can avail of the government’s P6.5 billion support fund to augment their reduced Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA).
In an interview, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo said their agency and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) agreed that the support fund will be based on merit, not entitlement.
“The seal requires compliance of full disclosure of the Philippine requirements Act and Commission on Audit (COA) report,” he said.
In Central Visayas, 17 local government units from Bohol and Negros Oriental received the seal during award rites last Sept.
Asst. Regional Director Elias Fernandez Jr. of the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) said these LGUs were eligible to access the Performance Challenge Fund.
He said this is counterpart funding for the LGU’s projects under their respective Annual Investment Programs.
Fernandez said these LGUs applied and complied with the documentary requirements to receive the award.
Cebu province didn’t apply for the award, he said.
Robredo told the 800 mayors who attended the League of Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) general assembly at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) that the funds were allocated to the LGUs. Robredo said there are 1,600 awardees of the seal.
Among the awardees were the towns of Balilihan, Maribojoc, Clarin, Dauis, Loboc, Panglao, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, San Miguel, Jagna and Ubay in Bohol.
In Negros Oriental, the awardees were the towns of Amlan, Canlaon City, Tanjay, Bacong, Dauin and San Jose.
The league considered a petition against the IRA reduction in its first day of assembly. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus