Carlos G. Dominguez
Secretary of Finance
May 18, 2021
DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado; NEDA Secretary Karl Chua; DOF Undersecretary Antonette Tionko; DICT Undersecretary Jose Arturo De Castro; Mr. Jose Antonio Tan, Director of the Asian Development Bank; fellow workers in government; representatives of the Leagues of the Provinces, Cities and Municipalities of the Philippines: Good morning.
Thank you for making time for this meeting.
First of all, I thank the Asian Development Bank for extending the policy-based loan for the Local Governance Reform Project.
This initiative is very timely and much-needed. Local governments are at the frontline of serving vulnerable communities, especially during these very challenging times. They are the catalysts for building a new economy while the national government does its utmost to address this global health emergency.
At both national and local levels, we need to optimize our revenue generation powers and improve tax administration to raise necessary funds for our COVID-19 response efforts and economic recovery program. Even as we stretch resources to stimulate the economy, we must continuously build up our fiscal resilience.
The Local Governance Reform Project will certainly help boost the revenue collection capacity of our local government units by adopting new digital tools and bolstering institutional development and policy support for property valuation.
This project is in line with the Duterte administration’s goal of empowering local government units and strengthening their local resource mobilization and public financial management.
On April 27, 2021, the President issued Administrative Order No. 40 creating the Interagency Governing Board that will implement the Local Governance Reform Project in partnership with the ADB. The Secretary of Finance was tasked to chair the Board to provide policy direction and exercise oversight functions over the project.
This The Board will play a lead role in strengthening our local governance framework. We are tasked to ensure the attainment of the project’s major outputs within its implementation timetable and monitor the compliance of executing agencies and other stakeholders. The undertaking we embark on today moves forward the process of devolution envisioned in the Local Government Code of 1991.
In this meeting, we will discuss the contents of Administrative Order No. 40, know the status of the project, decide on the appointment of official representatives to this body, and identify the key deliverables for this year.
I trust that everyone in this room will be up to the task of assisting our local government units in providing efficient, transparent, and accountable services in their respective communities. All these efforts will help boost our economic recovery and reduce poverty in the countryside.
To the ADB and the Philippine public, I assure you that the measures that we will be undertaking through the Local Governance Reform Project will be fully functional and irreversible.
I look forward to a productive meeting this morning.
Thank you.
-oOo-
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