FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. | PHOTO: official facebook page of President Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) expressed its unwavering support for the administration’s development agenda of President Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr. detailed in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.
This came after the plan was presented to the LMP National 2023 General Assembly Declaration at the Manila Hotel on Feb. 22, 2023.
LMP National President Mayor Joseph Santo Niño “JB” Bernos of La Paz, Abra presented the declaration to 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 as 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 in their declaration.
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 the lengthened timeline implementation, giving 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 stated to allow municipalities 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,” they said.
During the LMP assembly, Marcos affirmed his administration’s support for the devolution of local governments.
In his speech, Marcos said the national government is reviewing E.O No. 138.
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