Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 21) — The full devolution of functions to local governments may go beyond 2024 if many units remain ill-equipped, according to Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
Posible kung hindi talaga kaya (It’s possible if they’re really not ready),” she said during a Palace briefing on Tuesday when asked.Pangandaman noted that while LGUs have enough funding to pursue projects, hundreds of them said they were unready to launch big-ticket programs.This issue prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ask the DBM to study and make amendments if necessary to Executive Order No. 138 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte. The order mandates the transfer of some of the national government’s functions to local governments, essentially implementing the Mandanas-Garcia ruling.The president gave an instruction to further study the responsibilities, projects, programs na kayang gawin ng mga LGUs at ang iiwan sa national government (that LGUs can do and those that would be undertaken by the national government),” she said.The budget chief said National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan would lead the study.Pangandaman was optimistic they could present the study in two months’ time.We will report this to the president kung kaya na ba nila by 2024 or kailangan pa i-extend (if they can do it by 2024 or if it needs to be extended),” she said.The DBM secretary said LGUs need technical expertise and capacity to prepare and plan properly for the projects.She added that different departments, including the Department of Finance and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, have the budget this year to prepare LGUs.
