LGU urged to prepare recovery plan

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged local government units (LGU) to start planning for recovery from the coronavirus pandemic despite the ongoing crisis.

DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya said areas deemed as “low-risk” for COVID-19 can now begin recovery efforts on the need to stimulate economic activity.

“We need to recover now even though the COVID-19 crisis is not yet over, because the effect on the economy and livelihood of our countrymen will worsen,” he said in a Thursday briefing.

“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 added.

Malaya said that LGU need not create a new local body to facilitate the recovery planning and budgeting.

He said this can be done through the creation of an economic cluster within the existing Local COVID-19 Task Force headed by a mayor or governor.

The DILG has prepared a local recovery and planning guide for LGU which has sample frameworks, templates and suggested programs, Malaya said.

At least 10 fund source options can be tapped by implementing agencies or LGU to help address the challenges of fund availability, he added.

Among these options are the national government programs and financing assistance programs of select government financial institutions and government-owned and controlled corporations.