Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Local Governance Summit 2024
Maraming salamat sa Kalihim ng ating Department of Interior and Local Government sa kanyang pagpakilala.
[Magsi-upo po tayo.]
Andito rin po ang ating Secretary ng DOH, Secretary Ted Herbosa; His Excellency Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke. [I’ll get that right one day], Ambassador of Germany to the Philippines; and other members of the Diplomatic Corps; the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines or ULAP President, Governor Dax Cua; International Labour Organization Country Director Khalid Hassan; World Bank Senior Urban Development Specialist Narae Choi; and our constant host, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano; my fellow workers in government and especially in local government; ang ating mga bisita na nakarating ngayong araw para samahan tayo dito sa napakahalagang summit na ito; ladies and gentlemen, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.[applause]
I am always happy to be with you, especially with the local government executives because I always consider local government to be in fact my natural habitat. [applause]
So, this is the… I am happy especially that we are here to convene [for] the Local Governance Summit 2024. The intent of which is to explore and to employ the various ways of capacitating our localities and local executives to serve our people better.
I thank the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the concerned national [government agencies] —- national government and local government, our esteemed friends from the United Nations and the other international organizations for bringing this summit to fruition.
This is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the huge responsibility that we all hold in our hands—the ability to transform our respective communities and the lives of those that are in those communities under the banner of [a] Bagong Pilipinas.
Your strong presence here today… Ang sabi sa akin ni Gov. Dax hanggang — malapit na sa apat na libo ang nakarating dito sa ating summit. That demonstrates your solidarity with the Administration’s governance agenda, as reflected in this assembly’s theme, that calls for our local governments to be smart, to be resilient, and to be driven.
In this age of technological advancement, it has become imperative to utilize all the latest tools and strategies to explore and improve our daily operations.
It applies to areas such as [designing] infrastructure, urban planning, [and] even in the simple process of applying for a business permit.
I think we are all familiar with the delays that sometimes people have to suffer for very simple documentation. Well, I think the digital world is going to provide us the solutions to those problems. And to make us more efficient and so that the process of interchange between our people and the government, both at the local and the national level becomes better, becomes easier, and more efficient.
To bolster this digitalization of local processes, our government is conducting caravans nationwide to promote the adoption by LGUs of the eLGU system as their electronic business one-stop shop, making government transactions convenient for the general public.
Truly, in a time when communities and societies have embraced digitalization, there is no excuse for governments, national or local, to allow themselves to be left behind.
It is incumbent upon us to promote these smart solutions, such as innovative technologies and strategies, so we can maximize its advantages, especially in the face of challenges that threaten the overall well-being of our constituents.
Currently, we are experiencing a surge in leptospirosis and dengue cases, attributed by the DOH to improper garbage disposal and poor waste management.
Our solid waste management problem is a major factor that caused flooding as well in the Metro during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon in the last month.
Local chief executives must work harder to utilize environmentally-sound methods and waste minimization measures to protect public health and of course, our environment.
So, I urge you all to lead aggressive information dissemination campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases, such as a campaign to remind our people, especially children, against swimming in flood waters and to practice [proper] personal hygiene to mitigate the spread of leptospirosis, Mpox, and any other illnesses.
The KALINISAN Program led by our DILG reflects our earnest efforts in improving our waste disposal and management to ensure a clean, healthy, and safe environment for all. I call on the LGUs to continue your active participation in this initiative.
This has always been a problem for our urban communities especially where — how do we get rid of the tons of waste that accumulate and to not leave them in the environment and to remove them from the exposure to people in their day-to-day lives.
And that is something that we really to have to look into and finally come to a solution to that problem.
As I have always said, sometimes, we blame technology, because of technology, because of the improved ways that we can do in terms of production, in terms of packaging, this increases the amount of garbage that is generated.
And I say, that is because of technology. But, once again, I also look to technology to provide the answers. There are so many schemes. There are so many proposals. There are so many new technology that are being developed precisely to solve this problem.
And I urge you all to look into them as quickly and deeply as possible so that we can finally solve this problem.
The national government — this is a local government mandate but the national government is here always to assist and to find ways for you in your specific communities how we can improve the situation.
And to recognize our Lupon, which makes an invaluable impact on the peace and order in the community, I recently signed the Executive Order No. 68, which strengthens the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards System and reorganizing the National Awards Committee. [applause]
Under the new EO, the number of award categories increased from four to ten, which includes the Hall of Fame and Peace Champion awards.
This year, we also target to issue the [order] amending Executive Order No. 138, s. 2021, with clearer parameters on the functions, services and facilities that are to be devolved. We have been working on this for a good long while and I think we have found a formula wherein we divide the funding according to the way that we determine services belong to — as a responsibility to the national government, other services belong to the local government.
And in that way, we are able to satisfy the needs as best as we can for both the national government and most importantly for the local government as the Mandanas ruling really directs itself towards the improvement in the local government situation.
Once we have clearly defined the parameters of devolution, our LGUs will have greater capability to implement and localize the Sustainable Development Goals.
I hope [that] our local leaders will actively participate in this Summit’s sessions. I hope you are inspired by the innovations and best practices from the international community as shared with us, from our partners and allies from South Korea, from Indonesia, Japan, and other international organizations.
This is the moment to rise as effective stewards of your respective localities, to drive progress in your communities, [and] to nurture a culture of collaboration amongst concerned stakeholders.
Know that we rely on the guidance and service of our local officials to uplift the quality of life of our citizens.
So, I look forward that you will continue to be accountable, reliable, and efficient in bringing our people closer to the opportunities that they all deserve.
Your cooperation with the national government is invaluable for it is only with your help that we can achieve our shared aspirations.
So, as leaders, let us remain worthy of the trust and confidence of our fellow Filipinos.
Once again, thank you all very much to all the organizers and the attendees of this summit, to all those who have come to attend. And together, I believe we can transform
our nation into a more peaceful and prosperous Bagong Pilipinas.
Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at mabuhay ang ating mga LGU! [applause]
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