By Brian Campued
To ensure that peace is sustained in previously conflict-laden communities and that residents receive proper support as they recover from the effects of insurgency, Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo on Tuesday approved the release of P8.08 billion to facilitate priority projects in over 800 cleared barangays across the country.
According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), a total of 808 insurgency-cleared barangays have been identified as beneficiaries of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) – Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) for fiscal year 2026.
The budget will be used to fund community-driven development programs in remote areas such as farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water systems, health stations, and electrification projects.
“This release is in direct compliance with the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that no community is left behind and that development reaches even the most remote barangays,” Sec. Toledo said in a DBM news release Wednesday.
“At kapag sinabi ng Pangulo na ‘Bawat Bayan Makikinabang,’ malinaw na kasama rito ang bawat barangay—lalo na ang mga dating apektado ng kaguluhan. Through this fund, we are empowering local communities, improving access to basic services, and creating real opportunities for our kababayans to live safer, more productive, and more dignified lives.”
The SBDP is a key pillar of the 2026 LGSF program “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” launched by the President in February to strengthen local government units’ capacity to address the needs and concerns of their communities.
Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the LGSF allocation was increased by over P34 billion, bringing the total amount to about P58 billion, the highest in its history.
-jpv
