Recovery guidebook for LGUs developed

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has come up with guidelines to help local officials chart a long-term plan to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said with technical support from the World Bank, the department developed the “Ready to Recover (We Rise as One) Covid-19 Local Recovery Planning Guide.”

“We need to recover now even as the Covid-19 crisis has yet to end because it has ravaged our economy and the livelihood of our countrymen,” Malaya said in a statement.

Malaya said the DILG is collaborating with other national government agencies in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to help local government units (LGUs) prepare their recovery strategy.

“The goal is to build back better,” he said.

Recovery efforts can already start at the local level to protect jobs and stimulate economic activity since most of the country is classified as low-risk Covid-19 areas, Malaya said.

“With private consumption and investment still down, it is now up to the national and local governments to drive consumption and investment with government spending and policies that support the growth and recovery of local businesses,” he said.

The guide will simplify recovery and rehabilitation planning to give LGUs flexibility in interventions, according to Malaya.

It includes sample frameworks, templates, and suggested programs, projects and activities or PPAs.

Malaya said LGUs have several options in sourcing funds for their coronavirus response strategy. Among them are the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, and Quick Response Fund of select national government implementing agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education and Department of Health.

Other possible sources are the Local Government Support FundFinancial Assistance (LGSF-FA) to LGUs, LGSF-FA to Municipalities and Seal of Good Local Governance Incentive Fund.

“We will monitor your local recovery programs and projects and assess your progress to ensure you stay on track and achieve your intended results,” Malaya said.

He underscored the importance of the LGUs’ informing their constituents of their initiatives to jumpstart local recovery.

The LGUs were also advised to establish a feedback mechanism to promote transparency and accountability during the recovery process.