By Mary May A. Abellon
DIPOLOG CITY – The city government here is
expected to receive P3 million this year from the Performance Challenge Fund
(PCF) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
This incentive, which is
funded under the 20% Local Development Fund (LDF), is given to the local
government unit (LGU) through a counterpart funding scheme in the
implementation of projects under the Annual Investment Program (AIP).
PCF
is given to all provinces, cities and municipalities awarded with the Seal of
Good Housekeeping on condition that the LGU shall allocate counterpart fund to
implement capital investment projects aligned with the national development
agenda and priorities.
Projects
to be funded by PCF include improvement
of social services like school buildings, hospital and health
centers, housing and settlements; public infrastructure such as
local roads and bridges, railways, ports and wharves; economic
services like tourism facilities, irrigation systems, postharvest
facilities, cold storage facilities, and other economic infrastructures and
growth enhancing projects such as market, slaughterhouses, and water supply
system; climate change adaptation and disaster
preparedness like flood control, reforestation, solid waste
management facilities, evacuation centers, early warning and devices and rescue
equipment; and promotion of good
governance like the anti-red tape and anti-corruption systems.
The grant cannot be used in payment
of taxes, salaries and recurrent cost and micro credits and loans.
The PCF aims to encourage LGUs to be
at their best performance in order to gain financial support that will boost
and sustain the local economic development initiatives for poverty reduction in
their respective localities.
“PCF will only be granted to an LGU
if it will surpass the ‘Good Local Governance Performance.’ In the case of Dipolog
City, it has moved up to ‘Seal of Good House Keeping’ from silver level in
2012,” City Local Government Operations Officer Lerma M. Campaner explained
adding
Dipolog met the criteria set for the said award.
The test of the Seal of Good
Housekeeping focuses on sound fiscal management characterized by the absence of
adverse COA opinion on the LGU’s financial statements, and on transparent and
accountable governance which puts value on full disclosure of government
transactions.
For her part, Mayor
Evelyn Uy expressed her gratitude for the said grant saying “it will help a lot
in the development of the city and its people.” (PIA9)
