The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P963.678 million support fund to 96 local government units in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region intended for the implementation of projects under the Assistance to Municipalities (AM) program.
The allocation ranging from P5 million to P12 million per municipality is earmarked for the implementation of the program covering a total of 258 projects. Among the projects supported by the program are local access roads, potable water supply system, drug rehabilitation facilities, local bridges, and construction of evacuation centers.
Said projects were identified by the local governments in their Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) and endorsed to the national government for funding through the support of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
According to Regional Director Manuel Q. Gotis, the 96 towns are among the first batch municipalities to receive the AM funding for having complied with the good governance conditions set by the DILG and DBM, particularly the Good Financial Housekeeping, Public Financial Management and Local Development Council Functionality Assessment.
Below is the list of municipalities included in the first batch of fund release.
Gotis added that the local governments may now proceed on the submission of technical documentary requirements and filing of necessary permits for the early implementation of the AM projects.
The Assistance to Municipalities formerly Assistance to Disadvantaged to Municipalities program is a catch-up mechanism program implemented to assist local governments in increasing citizens’ access to basic facilities.
ADM 2017
Meanwhile, the Regional Director urged local governments who received the same support fund last year to fast-track the implementation of its ongoing and not yet started projects adding that they may face sanctions for failure to implement the projects.
To ensure that projects are implemented effectively, Gotis said that the DILG IV-A created project management teams in its regional and provincial offices to closely monitor and assist local government units in the implementation of their projects.
Based on the latest monitoring record of the AM Project Management Team, only 40 percent or 196 of the total 490 projects were completed in Calabarzon; 36 percent or 179 are still ongoing and 23 percent or 115 projects are yet to be implemented.
Recently, the DILG IV-A top official visited various ADM project areas in Quezon province for an onsite inspection. Among the projects inspected by Gotis were the ongoing construction of local access road in Mulanay, Quezon worth P11.8-million and potable water systems in Agdangan and General Luna, Quezon amounting to P11.4 million and P10 million respectively.
