Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman urged government leaders to lead with empathy to respond to the needs of the people, in a message at the League of Municipalities General Assembly held 22 February 2023 in Manila.
The Budget Secretary underscored empathetic governance as the true essence of public service which will empower communities to advocate and work for their evolving collective interests and help them in building strength and resilience.
"As leaders in government, it is incumbent upon us to lead with empathy. We must truly consider and respond to the needs of our localities," Secretary Pangandaman said.
"With empathy for the needs of our people, the Department of Budget and Management prepared a national budget for economic transformation that is truly inclusive and sustainable — budget na tunay na dumaramay, nakaka-unawa, at nagmamalasakit sa mga Pilipino," she added.
She pointed out this year's national budget puts premium on strengthening social protection, ensuring food security, and establishing livable communities, among others. It also supports the Marcos Jr. administration’s 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda and is designed to cater to the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028.
Secretary Pangandaman highlighted the P820.3 billion automatic appropriations to LGUs as part of their National Tax Allotment and the P16.5 billion allotment for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). Under the LGSF, budgetary allocations are provided for financial assistance to LGUs, Growth Equity Fund, and support to the Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
As the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government undergoes transition, the national government has also appropriated funding for its Annual Block Grant; Special Development Fund for the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of its conflict-affected communities; and their share in taxes, fees, and charges collected in the region.
The Budget Chief reiterated the DBM's support to LGUs in the devolution process, in line with the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling.
Secretary Pangandaman likewise laid out the DBM's crucial initiatives that will help empower local governments in achieving resilience and autonomy. These include the institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership, rollout of the Participatory Budgeting Program, continued thrust towards the passage of the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized (PBBM) Governance Bill, and implementation of the DBM's Digital Transformation Roadmap.
All these initiatives, Secretary Pangandaman stressed, are indications of how the agency seeks to empathize with the needs of local governments and the Filipino people in pursuit of good governance.
"Through empathy, we will all be moved to work with the best of our abilities for the betterment of our municipalities and our country. Sa tunay na pakikiisa sa ating mga mamamayan, magiging tunay na tapat ang ating serbisyo sa ating bayan," Secretary Pangandaman said.
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