Senator Marcos questions P37.49 billion LGU aid fund over 2028 election concerns

Senator Imee Marcos asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to justify the proposed P37.49 billion allocation for the Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (FALGU) in the 2027 national budget.

The senator's demand comes amid concerns the funds could be used to advance political interests ahead of the 2028 elections.

Marcos raised her concern during the DBM’s budget briefing before the Senate Subcommittee on Finance on Thursday, where she questioned the distribution of assistance under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and the possibility of overlapping aid programs among government agencies.

“Ang daming ayuda sa LGSF eh,” Marcos remarked. “Napakalabo nitong LGSF. At the rate they’re going, kung saan-saan napupunta yung LGSF na sa pakiwari ng napakaraming LGU, there’s no rhyme or reason. Masyadong pinopolitika.”

She noted that the fund covers rice, medical and burial assistance, which she said are also provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Transportation (DOTr).

DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon explained, “While we acknowledge na meron pong different items in the menu from items A to R, yun pong aming guidelines very explicit that priority shall be given to those with bigger economic multiplier like infrastructure projects, local roads, farm-to-market roads, hospital buildings.”

He also said financial assistance for indigent individuals is subject to a cap for each local government unit (LGU).

Marcos, however, questioned whether the limit could prevent beneficiaries from receiving the same assistance from multiple agencies.

De Leon acknowledged that the DBM lacks the capacity to independently identify those who avail the same assistance more than once but said it is coordinating with the DSWD and the Department of Health (DOH).

Marcos then asked the DBM to submit a list detailing the amounts allocated, assistance delivered and recipient LGUs.

De Leon committed to providing the information, adding that the data can also be accessed through the DBM’s Centralized Open Monitoring Platform for Appropriations and Spending Statistics (COMPASS) website.