(File photo)

MANILA, (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government is seriously studying the devolution of some functions of Local Government Units (LGUs) in accordance with Executive Order no. 138 issued by Malacañang.

During the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) at the Manila Hotel, Wednesday, the President said the national government will use the entire year of 2023 to study EO 138 carefully.

"Let's see, there are functions that are given locally, but not really locally," Pres. Marcos said.

He added that the issues arising from the Mandanas ruling and how to implement it are also being seriously studied.

EO 138 stipulates the full devolution of some executive functions to the LGUs in order to strengthen the autonomy and power of local governments.

The President said the Mandanas ruling is one of the most important issues facing the government.

"We had an executive order, EO 138 that defines the different functions of government and local government. What is being said is that the municipal, provincial and city government funds will increase because the interpretation of sharing has been changed," added the President.

Pres. Marcos emphasized that there are many issues in the operation of LGUs that need to be looked at so coordination and synchronization are all necessary.

The President assured the local executives that his administration listens to their grievances and needs and is ready to provide the necessary assistance.

"We have to give them a chance to do their initiatives so they can show what they think is good," said the President.

It can be remembered that the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the share of LGUs is not only limited to the tax collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) but also includes the share of tax from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other tax collecting agencies. (PIA-NCR)