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Philippines
Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘ADM’ hopes to level playing field

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With the ongoing roll-out of the Assistance to Disadvantaged Municipalities or ADM program, Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy assured Friday the agency is just as focused in local government development as it is on the campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption.

Covering 1,373 municipalities nationwide, the ADM program provides a “catch-up mechanism” to assist municipal governments in increasing citizens’ access to basic facilities and ensures participation of civil society organizations in local governance.

Project types funded by ADM program are water systems, evacuation facilities, local access roads, small water impounding, and sanitation and health facilities.

“We made sure that the projects covered under the ADM program will address the needs of the people in the communities.  This is why we engaged civil society organizations and people’s organizations to be involved as the third party monitors and evaluators of ADM projects,” said Cuy.

“The DILG maintains its principle that CSOs are partners in development. They have a shared responsibility and accountability with the government in achieving development goals,” he added.

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Cuy also emphasized the ADM program directly supports the Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022.

“The DILG does not operate alone. Our programs are linked with the long-term goals of the whole of government,” he said. “The ADM program complements the PDP specifically its pillar ‘Malasakit,’ which aims to regain people’s trust in public institutions by improving the productivity of the public sector.”

The PDP is the first medium-term plan to be anchored on a national long-term vision, or AmBisyon Natin 2040, which represents the collective vision and aspirations of Filipinos for themselves and for the country. 

The PDP also takes off from the Administration’s 0-10-point Socioeconomic Agenda and is informed by inputs from the cross-section of stakeholders and the general public.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy. Photo from www.dilg.gov.ph

Cuy said the ADM program design is in line with the PDP’s “Chapter 5: Ensuring People-Centered, Clean, and Efficient Governance.”

He said the ADM strengthens Local Development Councils, engages and empowers citizens through CSO participation, and provides fund to improve access to public goods and services.

According to Cuy, the ADM program further intensifies spending on infrastructure in accordance with the PDP.

“ADM-funded infrastructure projects are distributed both sectorally and spatially for inclusive growth and for the improvement of quality of life in rural towns across the country,” he said.

Earlier, he announced the 547 towns that were set to receive assistance amounting to P8.15-billion from the national government through the ADM program.

He said the first batch of recipient municipalities complied with requirements for release after obtaining a Good Financial Housekeeping mark from the DILG, and complying with both assessment and adoption of measures on Public Financial Management as prescribed by the Department of Budget and Management.

The ADM program has a budget of P19.43-billion as provided by Republic Act 10924, which authorized the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2017 approved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

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