CEBU CITY, Cebu, May 16 (PIA) – As of March 2022, there are 18 national government agencies (NGAs) that have already submitted their Devolution Transition Plans (DTP) to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as mandated by Executive Order No. 138 or the “Full Devolution of Certain Functions of the Executive Branch."

This is to support the implementation of the Supreme Court Mandanas-Garcia Ruling.

Based on the data from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the said NGAs are the Department of Finance, Population Commission, Department of Heath,  Department of Tourism, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Transportation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Justice, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity. 

NEDA-7 Policy Formulation and Planning Division Chief Maria Teresa Alambra, during the Kapihan sa PIA on May 12, said that of the 20 NGAs involved in the Full Devolution Transition, only two have yet to submit their Devolution Transition Plans, namely, Department of Energy and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. 

Alambra said that on May 25, DBM will release a latest update on the submission status of the Devolution Transition Plans of the NGAs and local government units (LGUs). 

The Devolution Transition Plans will be evaluated and approved first by the Committee on Devolution led by DBM, before it will be implemented with several functions and responsibilities of the said NGAs to be devolved to the LGUs.

NEDA vowed its full support for the devolution transition and the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling which started in 2022.

"We are very supportive of this activity, and we hope na i-strengthen ni siya sa next admin nga ato jud ni siyang tutokan alang sa three years na implementation. We hope na within the three-year transition period, ato na ni siyang ma fully implemen," Alambra said.

“After ma-devolve ang functions to the local government units, the NGAs need to strengthen their oversight functions, concentrate on developing capacity, setting standards, and monitoring,” she added.  (RGC/PIA7)