To the Local Government of Iloilo, led by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Mayor Raisa Treñas, I understand she could not make it today, but of course she is represented by Mr. Jay Treñas, thank you for once again extending your warm welcome and gracious hospitality as we gather for Phase II of the Public Financial Management Competency Program for Local Government Units (PFMCP for LGUs);
To the Association of Local Budget Officers (ALBO) Region VI, led by Acting President Mr. G. Antonio T. Arbis;
To my DBM colleagues, most especially to the DBM Regional Office VI, led by Regional Director (RD) Maria Liane L. Gayomali and Assistant RD Mariel Dave M. Gallego;
To our local budget officers and Public Financial Management (PFM) practitioners, and all our participants: Maayong aga sa inyo tanan!
Also, Kung Hei Fat Choi and belated Happy Valentine's Day!
Actually, this is my second time coming here for PFMCP. How timely that we are holding the second PFMCP for LGUs for 2026 here in the City of Love, during the Month of Love! At dahil Chinese New Year kahapon and we are welcoming the New Year, sigurado akong ang mga sessions natin ngayon at sa mga susunod na araw ay magdadala ng good luck at prosperity! Sabihin niyo pong lahat, seswertehin ako ngayong 2026! Claim it, i-manifest ninyo ‘yan!
The last time that we were in Iloilo City for the first phase of our PFMCP for LGUs was in October 2023. We had over 600 participants then. And I am happy to share that in just the last three years, the PFMCP for LGUs has already capacitated more than ten thousand PFM practitioners nationwide. I hope that this has also translated to improved public services and better development outcomes, made possible by a more capable and professional PFM workforce.
Sabi nga kanina ni Mr. Arbis, it is timely for us to have this PFMCP given what is happening right now.
Now we are in the second phase of PFMCP. I want to emphasize here that this is not just a re-run but a deepening and expansion of the first phase, designed to build on our gains and address the needs and challenges of the present time.
So our competency program now includes advanced courses, particularly on special funds of LGUs, Cash Management, Asset Management, Stakeholders Management and Good Governance—to ensure that the knowledge and skills of our local PFM practitioners are aligned with our country’s broader reforms and development agenda. We are also developing new courses, such as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) course, in line with the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment on making our budget more responsive. And we are still continuing our courses on the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA).
Indeed, the PFMCP has continued to evolve to meet the needs of Filipinos while remaining firmly committed to its core goals. That is, to uphold good governance and improve public service delivery for every Filipino.
And we are confident that we can further carry this mission forward through our Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Budget, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last January 5. This amounts to Php 6.793 trillion, higher by 7.4 percent compared to last year’s budget.
Under this budget, Php 1.19 trillion is allocated to the National Tax Allotment share of LGUs. We have fully released these funds as early as January, ensuring that local governments can deliver uninterrupted basic services, strengthen local governance, and accelerate programs that directly benefit our communities.
Of this amount, Php 247.53 billion is allocated to the Visayas. (Dako nga budget, ha!)
This includes Php 52.98 billion for your Provinces, Php 58.72 billion for your Cities, Php 82.95 billion for your Municipalities, and Php 52.88 billion for your Barangays.
For the Province of Iloilo, the FY 2026 NTA share amounts to approximately Php 5.10 billion, while the City of Iloilo will receive around Php 1.97 billion. So marami po tayong panggastos at pang buenas ngayong Year of the Fire Horse!
But that’s not all! Additionally, Php 57.87 billion is allocated to the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF)—more than double the 2025 allocation! This will fund the priority projects of LGUs that are aligned with our national goals. This is because PBBM really wants to empower our LGUs! So as you can see, we have all we need for a prosperous new year.
But remember, these figures are not just numbers; they are our means to empower our LGUs to sustain essential services such as health care, education support, disaster preparedness and response, and the maintenance of vital local infrastructure across the region.
Ito ang nagsisilbi nating puhunan upang mas mailapit ang mga serbisyo ng gobyerno sa publiko. Ito rin ang layunin ng Mandanas–Garcia Supreme Court Ruling na nagtaas ng allocation para sa LGUs: na mas palakasin pa ang lokal na pamamahala para sa ikabubuti ng ating mga mamamayan.
Indeed, the enacted budget for FY 2026 puts a premium on our people and communities, ensuring that no one will be left behind in our socioeconomic transformation. And we, PFM practitioners, have a huge responsibility to implement this National Budget with integrity and purpose—so that it drives high-impact reforms, delivers meaningful results, and rebuilds the public’s trust in government.
On our part at the DBM, we are constantly working to strengthen the country’s PFM systems and enhance bureaucratic efficiency.
We are implementing the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028—the country’s strategic blueprint for modernizing public financial management over the medium term.
Last year, through the group of our Chief Information Officer, Undersecretary Maria Francesca M. Del Rosario, we already rolled out the Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS), or the interoperable core of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), to enable real-time online accounting, monitoring, and oversight of obligations and disbursements. The initial phase included seven pilot agencies with the highest budget allocations. This year, until 2027, we will expand its implementation to cover all 315 agencies and reach almost 10,000 users, fully realizing our goal of full IFMIS integration of NGAs linked via the BTMS.
At the same time, through the group of Usec. Janet B. Abuel and Assistant Secretary Andrea Celene M. Magtalas, our legal team has been advocating for the passage of the Philippine Budgeting Code (PBC)—a cornerstone of the PFM Policy and Legal Framework agenda—aimed at improving efficiency and, more importantly, institutionalizing transparency and accountability measures through digitalization and public participation in the budget process.
Through the Budget Policy Group of Asec. Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit, we are also working with our development partners to strengthen our investments towards digitalizing our PFM processes. As the lead agency for the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) for PFM Systems, we conducted PCB workshops in collaboration with DEPDev and developed a framework that now serves as the operational anchor and reference guide for convergence budgeting of PFM systems, ensuring alignment of efforts and efficient budget allocation across the government.
To improve bureaucratic efficiency and budget responsiveness, we continue to deliver and further develop the Public Financial Management Competency Program under the Advocacy and Capacity Development or ACES Group of Usec. Margaux Salcedo. Kaya nga po tayo may PFMCP for LGUs dito sa Iloilo ngayon.
More than this, through the ACES Group, we are strengthening our partnerships to reach more stakeholders: We continue to deliver the PFMCP program as far as BARMM through the help of JICA; we have finalized our new program with the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG); we are developing the WPS program with MSU; we will develop a budget oversight program with the EU; and more tie ups with SUCs are in the works.
And of course, our Regional Directors now under Asec. Ryan Lita are all working hard to deliver all of our services in every part of the country. Palakpakan po natin ang bawat isa sa kanila!
So as we sustain our reform agenda, we hope that you will continue to join us in implementing our budget efficiently, effectively, and with full accountability.
Ngayong buwan ng pag-ibig, ipamalas natin ang ating pagmamahal hindi lamang sa ating mga iniibig sa buhay kundi sa ating bayan—sa pamamagitan ng aktibong pakikiisa sa ating programa.
Dahil ‘yan po ang Bagong Pilipinas—may puso para sa bayan.
With that, let’s get the ball rolling! Madamo gid nga salamat, Iloilo!
Mabuhay ang Region VI! Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!
END
