Executive Secretary Ralph Recto urged local government executives to accelerate and strictly account for the use of a record P1.4 trillion in 2026 national budget funds, stressing that provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays should be active partners in delivering public services.
During a meeting on January 15, Recto said the consultation was held in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen partnerships with local government units (LGUs), emphasizing that they should be treated not as passive recipients but as active partners in national development.
The General Appropriations Act of 2026 allocated P1.4 trillion in downloadable funds to provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays, one of the largest such releases in recent years.
Congress also increased funding for the Local Government Support Fund to P57.87 billion, a key financing window for local infrastructure and social development projects.
Recto said discussions focused on aligning national priorities with local needs through rules-based fund releases tied to verifiable and measurable social outcomes.
Budget officials said the administration is prioritizing improved fund utilization and absorptive capacity to avoid project delays and ensure that increased allocations translate into tangible benefits for communities.
Present at the meeting were Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines national president and League of Provinces of the Philippines national chairman Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua, League of Provinces president Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., League of Cities national president Mayor Francis Zamora, League of Municipalities president Mayor Faustino Dy V, and Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas national president Maria Katrina Jessica Dy.
Also attending were Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo, Assistant Secretary Ryan Lita, and Assistant Secretary Angel Magtalas, who discussed implementation guidelines and monitoring mechanisms.
House Majority Leader Ferdinand
Alexander “Sandro” Marcos joined the consultation, highlighting Congress’ role in ensuring that expanded local appropriations are spent efficiently and transparently.
Recto said similar engagements will continue as the administration moves to safeguard the effective rollout of local government funding under the 2026 budget.
