Cebu ordinance requires LGU consent for nat’l projects

A glimpse of parts of Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY — National government agencies can no longer implement policies and projects in Cebu without prior coordination with the provincial government.

An ordinance approved by the Cebu provincial board on Tuesday considers any act of national agencies that has not been approved by the provincial government as “inimical” and compromises the general welfare of Cebuanos.

The board said Ordinance No. 2023-02 enforced provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), requiring the conduct of “periodic consultations” with local government units (LGUs), among others, before implementation of any program or projects in their jurisdictions.

These provisions require national offices and agencies to coordinate with LGUs in project implementations as well as ensure their participation both in planning and implementation.

“No policy, program, or project shall be implemented in the territorial jurisdiction of the province of Cebu by the concerned national government agency or GOCC (government-owned and controlled corporation) unless the same has been approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province of Cebu through an appropriate resolution approving the same,” according to the ordinance authored by Board Member Raul Bacaltos.

Fine

Officers and employees of national agencies and GOCCs who fail to coordinate with the province in implementing policies, programs, and projects would be fined P5,000 or face imprisonment for one year, depending on the discretion of the court.

Administrative charges will also be filed against violators for abuse of authority.

The ordinance was passed following the conflict between Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) over the handling of African swine fever (ASF) and other hog diseases in the province.

Cebu lost its status as an ASF-free province on March 1 when BAI detected the virus from samples of slaughtered meat in Carcar City.

Garcia, on March 29, filed a complaint against BAI officials in the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas over the alleged mishandling of ASF in the province. —DALE G. ISRAEL

READ: Cebu governor bans unsanctioned ASF testing, threatens to arrest violators