TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is proposing a P28.9 billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to raise the capability of local government units in assuming devolved functions under the Mandanas-Garcia ruling.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a press briefing at the regional DBM office here last week that the proposed 2023 LGSF is higher than the P17.96 billion actual allocation this year.

“To facilitate this transition towards full devolution, our proposed budget next year provides allocations to empower the local government in delivering the services that have been devolved to them, including the PHP28.9 billion LGSF,” said Pangandaman, who was in the city to grace the Visayas area conference of local budget officers on Nov.16.

Of the proposed budget, P10 billion is intended for the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), P13.87 billion for the growth equity fund (GEF), and P5 billion for financial assistance (FA) to local government units and support for capital outlay and programs.
The SBDP is a hallmark program of the NTF-ELCAC created to bring progress to former conflict-prone communities. Among its projects are the construction of farm-to-market roads, health stations, rural electrification, school buildings, and water and sanitation systems.

The LGSF-GEF, on the other hand, was formed to provide additional funding to local governments that are identified as poor, disadvantaged, and lagging to support the implementation of their priority projects and services to be allocated to provinces (10 percent), cities (10 percent), municipalities (70 percent), and barangays (10 percent).

The P5 billion for LGSF-FA will be used by local governments to fund the eligible programs and projects, such as infrastructure; purchase of ambulances and other vehicles; purchase of medical, rescue, and disaster-related equipment; street lighting or rural electrification; installation of closed-circuit television surveillance system; and assistance to poor individuals or families.

Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan thanked the national government for setting aside a higher LGSF in 2023 that would help underdeveloped areas in the country.
“It augments what the local government cannot provide since we only have P400 million local development fund this year. The amount is divided by 24 towns, two cities, and 951 villages,” Tan said.

Pangandaman said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the review of functions that should be devolved to local governments vis-a-vis those that should remain with the national government. The period for the devolution of some functions is extended up to 2027 instead of 2024.

Last year, then president Rodrigo Duterte issued a directive to boost the local government’s preparation for more responsibilities with the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling in 2022.

The Supreme Court Mandanas-Garcia ruling resulted from the petition made by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan governor Enrique Garcia Jr. before the Supreme Court on local government shares on internal revenue allotment (IRA).

With the increased budget share, the LGUs are expected to be responsible for the funding and delivery of the activities, which have been devolved to them under Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, and other subsequent laws.

Among the functions assigned to local governments based on the Local Government Code are agriculture programs, local infrastructures, environmental services, revenue mobilization, health services, maintenance of peace and order, employment facilitation, transportation, tourism, and housing.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

BORONGAN CITY– Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go is pushing for additional allocations for health as the deliberations for next year’s proposed budget is now in its final deliberation.

Go, who is the chairman of the committee on health in the Senate, said on Thursday (Nov.17) that with more budget allocated to health services, the payables especially the allowances and incentives for the frontliners who sacrificed their lives to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic could be released.

‘This is just a small amount compared the services they rendered. I will fight for this,” said Go.

Go informed that the committee reports were already passed for amendments which include the salaries and benefits for health workers hired during the times of pandemic, expansion and strengthening of the epidemiology and surveillance system, for the transitioning of the COVID-19 surveillance system to regular surveillance activities.

The senator also said that the amendments also include mental health commodities under public health program in which many people were affected especially with depression, the cancer assistance fund, operation of hospital command centers, strengthening of the immunization activity of the Department of Health, and specialty hospitals like the Lung Center and the National Kidney Institute.

With a bigger budget, poor patients could also be provided with assistance, he added.
Go visited Borongan City for the distribution of livelihood assistance under the Department of Social Welfare Development sustainable livelihood program to 328 former rebels and sympathizers.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

ORMOC CITY-The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Wednesday (Nov. 16) issued a red tide warning at Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City.

The BFAR said that based on the shellfish meat sample collected from Irong-Irong Bay, is positive with paralytic shellfish toxin (saxitoxin) based on the laboratory examination conducted by their fisheries laboratory.

Thus, the public is asked to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish like the ‘alamang’ or ‘hipon’ from Irong-Irong Bay.

The BFAR also reported that local red tide advisories are still imposed in San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar, Guiuan in Eastern Samar, and Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City.

BFAR said that fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs from these aforementioned areas are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY-Police in Samar province launched the ‘Bantay’ tourist bike patrol in support of the eco-tourism programs of the provincial government.

The tourist bike patrollers will focus their activities to safeguard the tourists as well as the tourist destinations of the province, says Samar police director Colonel Peter Limbauan.
“This project will also be replicated and strengthened in all local police stations with identified tourist destinations,” he added.

Samar provincial tourism officer Marvin Piczon lauded the initiative, adding that his office through Governor Sharee Ann Tan will provide support the program.

Meanwhile, Limbauan maintained that having a safe and crime-free tourist destination will encourage more tourists to visit Samar.

“(And) in turn, will provide economic advantage to the locales or village folks since the Province promotes a community-based eco-tourism industry,” the police officer said.
Samar, one of the poorest provinces in the county, has lunched the Spark Samar Development Agenda to highlight its tourism and agriculture potentials.

On October 19, 2022, the Samar provincial government formally unveiled its P80-million San Juanico Bridge Aesthetic Light and Sound Show Project to invite more tourists to the province.

In July 2022, it also announced the proposed P1.2 billion Spark Samar Sports City complex to transform the province into a world-class sports destination. (RONALD O. REYES)