Local government units are best positioned to identify both the problems in their communities and the appropriate solutions, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Thursday, noting that national authorities rely on local officials for accurate ground-level information.
“Ang local government siyempre sasabihin nila sa inyo ‘yung problema. Pero sasabihin din nila sa inyo kung ano ‘yung maaaring gawin para solusyonan ‘yung problema ‘yun,” President Marcos said during the “Sa Eastern Visayas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” event held at the Tacloban City Convention Center.
President Marcos said the government is implementing a new system aimed at strengthening the partnership between the national government and local government units (LGUs), noting the need for closer coordination to ensure more responsive and effective public service delivery.
“Ito ay naging bunga dahil ako ay naging governor din na siyam na taon sa Ilocos Norte. At nakikita ko na maraming disconnect…sa national government at saka sa local government,” the President added.
Upon assuming office, President Marcos raised the need to better support local government units, emphasizing that the national government must listen more closely to them to truly understand and address their actual needs.
“At ang isang nakita namin ay itong pondo na ito, ‘yung tinatawag na Local Government Support Fund, ‘yung LGSF,” said the President, who noted that in his nine years as governor, he wondered why the funds were not being properly released or implemented.
The President emphasized that the current administration is now properly directing the funds to LGUs.
“This is the time to use the LGSF in the right way, and that’s what we are doing,” the President said.
During the event, the President also led the distribution of high-quality rice to 500 families in Tacloban City.
The rice distribution forms part of efforts to address rising food costs and ensure food security among vulnerable households.
Under the program, beneficiary families in Tacloban received 10 kilograms of rice, with distributions scheduled every two months for a total of six cycles annually.
The initiative also complements the broader “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” program, which provides PhP200,000 per barangay nationwide for education and community projects.
In Tacloban City, 138 barangays will receive PhP100,000 each to address priority development needs identified at the local level.
In addition, 690 students in the city will benefit from the Presidential Scholars program, which provides financial assistance to help ensure college completion.
The administration said the combined interventions aim to strengthen grassroots governance while addressing immediate socio-economic needs.
Joining the President in the event were Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. | PND