DHSUD solidifies LGU coordination
COORDINATION. Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar delivers his speech during the Pag-IBIG Funds Chairman's Report at PICC in Pasay City on 27 February 2024. Acuzar on Sunday (7 April) promised the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s firmer support to local government units and bolster coordination with other national government agencies.
(PNA photo by Avito Dalan)
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Sunday has expressed optimism on the signing of the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) on Public Financial Management, pledging the Department’s firmer support to local government units (LGUs) and bolster coordination with other national government agencies.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar stressed that the agreement marked a significant step forward in their collective effort to empower LGUs and achieve stronger public financial management.
“The JMC ushers in several significant changes to our existing policy guidelines,” said Acuzar. “This is another solid proof of the administration’s pursuit to Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance.”
He also guaranteed the DHSUD’s commitment to “foster the improved coordination among oversight agencies, strengthen LGU support to equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge for local land use and development planning.”
Acuzar pledged to “ensure an efficient process for reviewing and approving plans while facilitating their alignment with regional and national priorities.”
The formulation of the JMC was spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headed by Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and signed 3 April.
It was primarily designed to enable better coordination among national government agencies led by the DILG, DHSUD, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance (DoF-BLGF) in their provision of technical assistance to LGUs, specifically on public financial management.
It was, likewise, implemented to ensure that the agencies’ tools on policy development, manuals, guidelines, issuances, awards, and advice and guidance complement each other.
Under the JMC, the DHSUD is tasked to provide technical assistance, as well as formulate and prescribe standards, regulations, and guidelines for the Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment, Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan of LGUs.