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IT is a recognized principle in fiscal management that appropriation
follows function. Thus, when many services were devolved from the
national government to local governments by the Local Government
Code, the funding for these services were correspondingly
transferred to the LGUs. Unfortunately, most of the local
governments accept the funding but disregard the delivery of the
devolved services. The House and the Senate should now give the
Local Government Code a second look to ensure it would not prejudice
the delivery of basic services.
This need has become more pronounced with the
crisis in high food prices and the long-felt deterioration of health
services. Many citizens point the finger at the Department of
Agriculture for the tight squeeze in food prices, particularly rice.
They should realize that the blame should be primarily shouldered by
their local officials since agricultural services have been devolved
to LGUs for almost 17 years.
An old friend, Rep. Sonny Escudero of Sorsogon,
recalled at the “Karambola” public affairs program on radio
station dwiz that when he was the agriculture minister in the Marcos
regime, the Ministry of Agriculture was delivering agricultural
extension services down to the barangay level. Now, the Department
of Agriculture has men down only to the regional level because of
devolution. The DA sets policies and programs but it is up to the
LGUs to implement them—and the mayors are not under the
administrative control and supervision of the department.
Sonny noted that with devolution, local
officials got the authority to appoint their agriculturists, thus
politicizing the position. When the mayor is at odds with the
governor, the provincial agriculturist ignores the municipal
agriculturist. Most politicians do not want to help make their
enemies look good, and this holds true even in the delivery of basic
services. I knew of many who withhold these services in the belief
that it would make their political enemies look bad before their
constituents and cause their downfall come election time.
Health services, too
The review of the Local Government Code was
urged even before the steep hike in the price of rice, mainly
because of the general decline in the delivery of health services.
The top priorities of the LGUs are public works and personnel
services. The delivery of health services is lowest in their
priorities. Thus, many clinics and hospitals that were previously
operated by the Department of Health closed down after the enactment
of the Code.
Money meant to maintain and operate the clinics
and hospitals are spent elsewhere by local officials. Even a rich
city like Manila has not avoided this with many hospitals built by
Mayor Alfredo Lim in his previous terms neglected during the
incumbency of Mayor Lito Atienza. The poor state of local health
services is seen in the refusal of many local officials who get sick
to be treated at LGU-funded clinics and hospitals. These are for The
Great Unwashed, not for officials.
With devolution, a good law like the Magna Carta
for Public Health Workers became a mere scrap of paper. The law was
meant to provide public health workers with incentives like salary
increases and allowances like hazard allowance, subsistence
allowance, longevity pay, laundry allowance and remote-assignment
allowance to encourage them to stay put. These incentives were never
extended to the health workers who became the prime responsibility
of local governments.
Senators Pia Cayetano and Ping Lacson want to
earmark the health budget in the internal revenue allotment (IRAs)
of LGUs so that the fund for health would truly be spent for health
services. Once a fund is earmarked, it could not be used for other
purposes. Some congressmen want a more radical move like reverting
to the national government the operation and maintenance of all
hospitals, which would go against the grain of local autonomy.
During the Senate debates on the health budget, Sen. Juan Ponce
Enrile, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, admitted
that many hospitals had closed down because of the failure of LGUs
to use their health budget wisely.
The IRA has been increasing every year without
any corresponding improvement in the delivery of devolved services.
Although the IRA is meant to give LGUs fiscal independence, it is
achieving the exact opposite. Most of the local governments are
totally dependent on their IRA as they refuse to enact local revenue
measures. Taxation is a very sensitive issue and local officials
generally refrain from using it even if it would make
their local governments less dependent on the national government.
efrendanao2003@yahoo.com
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