Municipal Government Units were recently oriented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government XII on the guidelines and procedures of this year’s implementation of the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat (SALINTUBIG) and Assistance to Municipalities (AM) Programs.
Thirty-three (33) municipalities from the four provinces joined the orientation facilitated by DILG XII - Project Development Management Unit (PDMU) at Paraiso Verde, Koronadal City last August 1 and 2.
Earlier, the PDMU conducted the same orientation to the12 municipalities from the Region sometime in April.
The Activity aims to ensure that all municipal LGUs follow the approved Memorandum Circular No. 2019 – 71 and Memorandum Circular No. 2019 – 77 that respectively stipulates the implementation guidelines and procedures for the AM and SALINTUBIG Programs, PDMU Chief Engr. Herminia Ontoy said.
Specifically, SALINTUBIG aims to increase access to potable water and sanitation services of communities by providing financial assistance for the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of potable water supply systems.
Meanwhile, AM aims to assist municipalities by covering priority projects such as local access roads including drainage system; evacuation centers and DRR-related equipment; local bridges; potable water supply project; small water impounding projects; rainwater catchment facilities; sanitation and health facilities; and municipal drug rehabilitation facilities.
This year, the national government has allocated Php 11 billion for the AM program and Php 1.549 billion for the SALINTUBIG program. “The said funds will cover local development projects in 1,373 MLGUs across the country and provide water systems to 79 waterless municipalities (WMs) and 78 waterless barangays (WBs), including those from Region XII,” according to Relly A. Leysa, Program Manager I from DILG-Water Supply and Sanitation Program Management Office (WSSPMO).
Leysa added that budget subsidies were distributed based on the following criteria: need-performance ratio with equal share, per capita share, fiscal capacity, and share for good performance.
Based on the records from PDMU, Region XII has programmed a total of 69 SALINTUBIG projects worth Php 107, 550, 000, and 40 AM projects worth Php 376, 106, 000 this year.
All LGUs will have one year and three months to complete all projects under the two programs, said Miguel T. Gler, Project Manager II of DILG- AM - Disaster Risk Reduction and Other Infrastructures (DRROI) Unit.
SALINTUBIG and AM are partnership programs of the DILG with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to help municipalities in their service delivery function.
