The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has committed to “responsibly” utilizing the P279.1 billion budget allocated to it under Republic Act (RA) 12116, or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2025.

In a statement on Wednesday, 1 January, DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla hailed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval of the P6.32-trillion national budget for this year.

Under the newly signed GAA 2025, the DILG received the fourth-largest budget allocation for the year at P279.1 billion.

Remulla expressed gratitude to Marcos for supporting the DILG’s mandate “to foster excellence in local governance, promote peace and order, and enhance public safety for the development of resilient and inclusive communities.”

“We assure the President, Congress, and the public of our commitment to utilize our budget responsibly, judiciously, and prudently in support of the administration’s agenda for prosperity by fulfilling the needs and aspirations of the Filipino people,” the DILG chief said.

Meanwhile, the DILG has closed its four trust fund accounts at the LandBank of the Philippines with an aggregate amount of over P12.98 million, following recommendations from the Commission on Audit.

This came after state auditors flagged the DILG for maintaining four unauthorized bank accounts, stating that their creation and retention as of end-2023 “have no legal basis.”

The DILG defended these accounts, stating they were used as depository accounts for funds from other national government agencies.

It added that the accounts were created to ensure the prompt release of funds to support the implementation of various programs and projects.

The agency said it had already closed the P1.73-million RO IX Trust Regular Account and the P111,009.42 DILG-NCR Local Government Academy Special Project Account.