Abolish MMDA for rightsizing, streamlining gov’t ops – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should be abolished if the government is bent on rightsizing or reducing redundant operations, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said on Monday.

Chua said that the functions of the MMDA can be left to a new National Capital Region (NCR) Coordinating Council, which will streamline the council’s role so that it would not intersect with the local government units (LGUs).

According to Chua, the idea aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s National Government Rightsizing Program (NGRP)s mentioned during the Chief Executive’s first State of the Nation Address.

“That’s why, in this privilege speech, I am proposing to Congress and those crafting the National Government Rightsizing Program, to abolish the MMDA,” Chua said in Filipino.

“What would be left is a National Capital Region Coordinating Council similar to the current Metro Manila Council — but the powers of the NCR Coordinating Council would be streamlined, clear, and respects the power of the LGUs inside NCR and the national government agencies,” he added.

Chua further said that the budget of the MMDA has ballooned to the point that its billions of funds are more significant compared to some key government agencies.

“We are pushing for the abolition of the MMDA so that the practice of spending billions of pesos worth of funds that are only allocated to unfinished projects would be stopped.  We want the government to save funds and use these funds to proper projects and programs for the welfare of the NCR,” he said.

“In the combined GAA (General Appropriations Act) subsidy and its local funding sources, the budget of the MMDA is bigger than some departments of the national government.  In the 2023 GAA, Congress allocated a P5.282 billion budget for MMDA, aside from local fund sources, which would be around P4 billion to P5 billion.  That’s why the total budget of MMDA is around P10 billion,” he added.

Despite its budget, Chua insisted that MMDA has no legislative or police power and cannot decide on behalf of Metro Manila cities that it supposedly has jurisdiction over.

“The Supreme Court has, in several instances, proven that the MMDA has no legislative or police power, and has no capacity to cover the jurisdiction of mayors and barangay captains in NCR because the provisions in the constitution on the local government, and the Local Government Code of 1991, bears more weight,” Chua claimed.

“It is clear in Republic Act No. 7924 — the law that serves as the basis of the MMDA — that their only purpose is to coordinate, and the power of the MMDA emanates from the Metro Manila Council comprised of elected Mayors of the NCR’s LGUs,” he added.

As of posting time, MMDA has not released any statement regarding Chua’s proposal of abolishment. (With reports from Mae Anne Bilolo, INQUIRER.net trainee)

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