Gov. RDR urges LGUs to increase absorptive capacity

TAGUM CITY - Local government units (LGUs) should increase their absorptive capacity in order to take advantage of the increasing resources coming from the national government.

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said that the anti-corruption campaign instituted by President Benigno Aquino III has improved the national economy and increased essential revenues vital in bankrolling important programs and projects, particularly in the countryside.

He said that as a result of the president’s good governance reforms, dubbed as“Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path), the national government now has greater resources available for the implementation of more projects that benefit the people.

“So much money is now available and the only problem is how much absorptive capacity do the LGUs have,” del Rosario said.

The Chair of the Confederation of all the Local Chief Executives in Mindanao (Confed) pointed out that many of the available resources could amount to nothing if the LGUs do not have the capacity to directly implement projects.

“We really need to develop the capability of the LGUs to directly implement outsourced projects,” he stressed.

For Davao del Norte, the Governor revealed the province is now ahead in terms of implementing national or foreign-funded projects by administration, after beefing up its pool of engineering manpower and equipment.

He said the province has proven this in accomplishing P260-million worth of projects coming from the World Bank-funded Mindanao Rural Development Program, which was used for the massive opening and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads in the province.

This was bolstered by Capitol’s efficient execution of the P40-million Provincial Roads Management Facility that is being funded annually by the Australian Aid for International Development (AusAID), as well as, the P23-million dairy project financed by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The province has further fast-tracked the completion of the P72-million grant from the Health Facility Enhancement Program of the Department of Health (DOH), which upgraded the medical facilities of the provincial hospitals and boosted the economic enterprise program of the province.

The province earlier received recognition for leading the implementation of farm-to-market roads and livelihood projects funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) locally-funded projects under the Davao Integrated Development Program (DIDP). (Noel Baguio-DN PGO)