Municipal officials urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to include collaborations with the local government units (LGUs) as a key criterion in evaluating Cabinet officials, following the President’s call for all department secretaries to submit courtesy resignations.
“I unequivocally express my support to the President’s orders in behalf of the 1,486-strong League of Municipalities of the Philippines,” LMP national president and re-electionist Abra Rep. JB Bernos said.
“If local government units conduct periodic performance reviews, so must the national government, especially those who are entrusted to bring the President’s vision to reality,” Bernos added.
“The only thing I am asking the President is to also consider how much the departments have collaborated or supported the municipalities in the past three (3) years,” he continued.
Bernos stressed national-local partnerships strengthen governance in the country, and those who have adequately served the needs of the municipal governments must stay to continue such good practice.
“I believe that a Department that sufficiently acts on the needs of the LGUs is a Department with a good Secretary who listens, so I hope those leaders will be kept, because they know the situation on the ground,” he said.
“If Cabinet officials are not attuned to the needs of the local government units, how can we expect them to craft sound policies that address issues? How can the President know what his constituents need?” Bernos added.
Despite the sensitive nature of the review, Bernos expressed confidence that the process will ultimately lead to stronger alignment within the administration.
“As the President himself said, this is not about personalities. It’s about performance—and I believe that by factoring in LGU collaboration, we can move closer to meeting the people’s expectations,” he said.
