Officials of the Pampanga provincial government today (August 25) committed themselves to tread the straight and narrow path of transparent and honest governance being espoused by the national administration even as they vowed to implement programs and projects designed to promote the common good of their constituents.
This developed as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) presented to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse M. Robredo the SP Resolution No. 2361 which stipulated the provincial government’s support to the national government’s advocacy on transparent and full disclosure policy on local governance.
The DILG Secretary recently interfaced with Governor Lilia G. Pineda, Vice-Governor Joseller “Yeng”Guiao, members of the provincial board, department heads and municipal mayors in the province on local governance issues and concerns at the Benigno Aquino Memorial Hall in the City of San Fernando.
Governor Pineda asked the Secretary to extend to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III the provincial government’s gratitude for extending more than P100 million funding assistance from the national government for the implementation of various development programs in Pampanga.
The governor stressed that Pampanga is entirely supportive of the President’s programs for development and added that the provincial government officials work in close partnership with the DILG.
She likewise acknowledged that the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) of the national government is an effective strategy to achieve effective and efficient development at the local government level.
The PCF provides financial incentive to qualified local government units to jumpstart the implementation of development projects in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to address poverty.
Pineda proudly announced that the municipal governments of Minalin and San Simon stand to benefit from the PCF as they are both recipients of the DILG’s seal of good housekeeping (SGH).
Mayors Arturo Naguit of Minalin and Leonora Wong of San Simon duly signed the memoranda of agreement with DILG Regional Director Florida Dijan which stipulate the provision of P2 million funds each to their respective municipalities.
The two LGUs will utilize the PCF for the construction of a three classroom school building in Minalin and construction of a drainage facility Phase 2 in San Simon.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Sasmuan is also expected to receive P1 million from the PCF soon.
Secretary Robredo said that these fourth to sixth class municipalities in Pampanga are among this year’s beneficiaries of the PCF while the results of the SGH assessment for the first to third class municipalities have yet to be released.
The SGH is conferred to local government units which exhibited track performance on transparency or full disclosure policy and has no adverse findings from the Commission on Audit (COA).
Robredo added that the national leadership is advocating for the “matapat at mahusay na pamamahala” among local government units throughout the country as he encouraged the local chief executives to implement clean and honest governance.
The local government secretary also ably addressed the six priority concerns of the Pampanga Mayors League (PML) as he said that these issues all pertain to inadequate funding.
PML President and Floridablanca Mayor Eduardo Guerrero said that the priority concerns of the PML are: overzealousness of non-government organizations in local governance; utilization of the 20 percent economic development fund as stipulated in the joint DBM-DILG circular; reduction of the internal revenue (IRA) allotment by 4.8 percent; dilapidated fire trucks; gas allocation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the municipal level; lack of funding support in programs such as cleaning of Manila Bay and tree planting.
Guerrero, in behalf of the members of the PML, appealed to the DILG secretary for the necessary assistance so the local chief executives could deliver effective and efficient programs and projects.
The interfacing event was also attended by PNP Provincial Director Edgardo Tinio, 703rd Army Infantry Brigade Commander Gregorio Catapang, Fire Marshall, DILG Provincial Director Angelina Blanco together with other municipal officials. (Pampanga PIO)
