With major allocations for local government units (LGUs) in the proposed 2026 national budget, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday underscored the administration’s push to strengthen LGUs and make them more accountable in delivering services to their communities.

Remulla said the thrust aligns with the priority of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to empower LGUs as frontliners of public service delivery.

Speaking at a Malacañang press briefing alongside Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro and Department of Budget and Management Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo, Remulla said stronger LGUs can help restore public trust amid irregularities in past national projects, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control program.

“Ang ating Pangulo ay nagbigay ng bagong prayoridad para sa local government. Tinatama niya ang mali sa DPWH, tinatama niya ang mali sa national government, at pinapalakas niya ang lokal na gobyerno,” Remulla said.

“Ito ang kakayahan ng local government at ng Local Government Code. Sa ilalim ng ating Pangulo, pinalakas niya ito. Binigyan niya ng pondo, at binigyan niya ng tiwala na ang local government mismo ang siyang mag-uusad ng national development,” he added.

Remulla cited his experience in Cavite, where an LGU built 16 classrooms for about P21.5 million, compared to a similar DPWH project that cost P36 million—representing a difference of about 40 to 50 percent.

He said empowering LGUs helps reduce inefficiencies and strengthen accountability.

“Naniniwala ako na habang may reforms na ginagawa ang DPWH, ang local government ang best venue para makuha natin ang maximum benefit para sa mga tao,” he said.

Remulla also highlighted the importance of the Local Government Support Fund, a funding mechanism under the General Appropriations Act that provides financial assistance to LGUs for priority projects. He noted that the fund supports service delivery and local development while using digital submission systems to promote efficiency, transparency, and standardization.

Under the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, LGUs are set to receive P1.19 trillion in National Tax Allotment, P57.87 billion under the Local Government Support Fund and Growth Equity Fund for low-income and resource-constrained LGUs, and P15.33 billion for disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction, among other allocations.