LGUs to get P18.2-B anti-poverty, road projects

MANILA, Philippines - Some P18.2 billion will be released to local government units (LGUs) for their anti-poverty initiatives under the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) program and the rehabilitation and upgrading of provincial roads.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said P11.7 billion of the amount would go to community-based poverty reduction projects.

Roxas said P6.5 billion would be earmarked for the implementation of the Konkreto at Ayos na Lansangan at Daan Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran or KALSADA project.

He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has assured the Department of the Interior and Local Government that the funds would be released to LGUs that will comply with good governance conditions, social development benchmarks and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

“This system would be subject to certain requirements and conditions… it would depend on the capacity of LGUs to take responsibilities that flow from this prerogative,” Roxas said in a letter to DBM Secretary Florencio Abad.

President Aquino had said performance-based release of funds to LGUs promotes good governance.

Roxas said P704 million of the allocation for BUB will go to projects for community-based monitoring system and food production, P1.011 billion (basic education), P1.065 billion (health), P2.071 billion (disaster risk reduction management), P5.553 billion (local roads), P712.6 million (water supply), P542.384 million (irrigation) and P40.003 million (other local projects).

He said the P6.5-billion KALSADA fund would be released to provincial governments for the renovation and rehabilitation of road networks linking national roads to areas of development such as agriculture, tourism, health and education.