By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday expressed his intent to increase allocations for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF) to sustain the faster delivery of services at the grassroots level.
During the launch of the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang initiative in Las Piñas City, the President said higher allocations for the programs would depend on the results of their nationwide rollout.
President Marcos Jr. promised, “[Kapag] maganda ang ating maging resulta dito sa ating mga ginagawa, kapag maayos at maganda at mabilis ang pagbaba ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan, ay asahan ninyo sa 2027, lalakihan po natin ang pondo para dito sa LGSF at saka sa SCPF.”
The LGSF and the SCPF are key components of the government’s efforts to strengthen support for local government units and communities.
It provides financial assistance to LGUs to support priority development programs and projects, while the SCPF funds community-level initiatives, including education support.
The President emphasized the importance of empowering LGUs, noting that devolving funds facilitated faster and more efficient service delivery.
He said local officials are in a better position to identify beneficiaries and implement programs, compared to centralized processes that often take longer due to bureaucratic requirements.
Geared towards the less fortunate Filipinos
Under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program, families in need will receive 10 kg of rice every two months, six times a year, through the LGSF to help ensure food security among vulnerable sectors.
Complementing this, the SCPF allocates P200,000 to each village, with half of the amount earmarked for educational assistance.
Each village is expected to support at least five presidential scholars, who will receive P20,000 each.
President Marcos Jr. said the “whole-of-government” approach, which strengthens coordination between national and local governments, is key to ensuring the prompt delivery of assistance to intended recipients.
He assured the public of his administration’s continued efforts to refine and expand programs aimed at easing the burden of rising costs and improving the quality of life of Filipinos.
The Chief Executive said, “Patuloy naming ginagawa ito upang matiyak namin na lahat ng mga nangangailangan, lahat ng humihingi ng tulong ay mabibigyan ng tulong, naalalayan ng pamahalaan.
At tapat kami sa aming katungkulan na ang pamahalaan ay nandiyan upang alagaan ang taong-bayan, upang tulungan, upang gawing maganda ang kanilang buhay, at maproteksyunan ang ating mga kababayan.” (PNA)
