LGUs Urged to Submit Priority Projects for 2019 Budget

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has asked the 16 municipalities in Cavite to prepare and submit their respective priority projects for inclusion in the FY 2019 Local Government Support Fund – Assistance to Municipalities (LGSF-AM) Program.

DILG’s LGSF – AM seeks to equitably assist all municipalities in the delivery of basic services by providing financial subsidy to municipalities in the implementation of their priority programs and projects.

DILG Cavite Director Allan V. Benitez said Tuesday that the early call out is to help the municipalities prepare in advance their project proposals and to emphasize that the National Expenditure Program (General Appropriations Act) is an executive budget proposal that needs legislative authorization before it becomes a law.

“Thus the final approval on the LGU (local government unit) allocation is still subject for the deliberation of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the eventual signing of the President after finality in the Bicameral,” Benitez said.

He said the estimated indicative LGU allocation under the FY 2019 AM Progam is PHP169.072 million to help Cavite municipalities fund their 2019 ‘project menu,’ which must be listed in the Municipalities Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) and not funded from other sources, follows the minimum design criteria, with detailed engineering design (DED)/Equipment Technical Specifications.

As the fund should be fully disbursed by December 2020, Benitez advised the municipalities to limit the project, “like for LGU whose allocation is PHP5 million and below, submit just two projects; those above PHP5 million up to PHP7 million, three projects; and above PHP7 million can submit five projects”.

Budget caps to Cavite’s municipalities are, Alfonso (PHP11.530 million), Amadeo (PHP7.720 million), Carmona (PHP8.287 million), Gen. Mariano Alvarez (PHP12.502 million), Gen Emilio Aguinaldo (Bailen, PHP10.916 million), Indang (PHP11.815 million), Kawit (PHP7.495 million), Magallanes (PHP6.737 million), Maragondon (PHP11.237 million), Mendez (Mendez-Nuñez, PHP11.109 million), Naic (PHP12.765 million), Noveleta (PHP6.722 million), Rosario (PHP11.581 million), Silang (PHP15.595 million), Tanza (PHP15.141 million), and Ternate (PHP7.920 million).

DILG Cavite will send a formal communication, with the needed annexes and highlight submission deadline, “on or before, but not later than end of October 2018.” (PNA)