Interior dept releases PHP981.4-M to 306 LGUs in 2016

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) (Pictured) released PHP981.4 million to 306 local government units (LGUs) last year under its performance challenge fund (PCF) program. (Photo: Department of Interior and Local Government/ Facebook)

MANILA –The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) released PHP981.4 million to 306 local government units (LGUs) last year under its performance challenge fund (PCF) program.

“For 2016 alone, PCF was able to confer PHP981.4 million to a total of 306 LGUs, all earmarked for their respective projects. Of the 306 LGUs, 43 are provinces which got PHP4 million each, 51 are cities which took home PHP3.4 million each, and 212 are municipalities which received PHP3 million each,” the department said in a news release issued Tuesday.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno explained that the program encourages LGUs to be business-friendly, socially-protective, competitive, environment-protective, climate change-adaptive and disaster-resilient. The PCF is managed by the Bureau of Local Government Development, which is headed by director, Anna Liza Bonagua.

The department also granted PHP30 million to 30 LGUs in 2010; PHP490 million to 397 LGUs in 2011; PHP987 million to 560 LGUs in 2012; PHP990 million to 734 LGUs in 2013; PHP470 million to 248 LGUs in 2014; and PHP982 million to 254 LGUs in 2015.

The grants total PHP5 billion for 2,689 local development projects, 2,500 or 93 percent of which have already been completed. The remaining projects are in different stages of implementation.

Sueno further said that the 2,689 PCF projects consisted of 863 projects that supported the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; 1,388 that pushed for local economic development; 123 projects that facilitated compliance for ecological solid waste management; 313 for disaster risk reduction and management; and two projects that enhanced transparency and accountability, all subsidized with a total of PHP4.930 billion as of Dec. 29 last year.

The PCF recognizes good governance performance in transparency, accountability, participation and service delivery.