DILG website offers window to LGU finances, transactions

MANILA, Dec. 3 (PIA) — The Department of Interior and Local Government has developed a website where the public can readily see the finances and other transaction of local government units in line with the Aquino administration’s “Daang Matuwid (straight path)” thrust.

By logging on to the Full Disclosure Policy Portal (FDPP) through “fdpp.dilg.gov.ph” the public can view important LGU documents such as annual budget reports, statements of debt service, statements of receipts and expenditures; quarterly statements of cash flow, annual procurement plans or procurement lists, items to bid and bid results, abstracts of bids as calculated, and supplemental procurement plans.

Also available in the FDPP are Special Education Fund (SEF) income and expenditure estimates; reports of SEF utilization; annual Gender and Development accomplishment reports; Trust Fund (PDAF) utilization; 20 percent component of the Internal Revenue Allotment utilization; and reports of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund utilization.

Designed by the DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) with the help of World Bank, Australian Government Overseas Aid Program (AusAID), and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the website also aims to assist local government units in complying with the requirements of the Full Disclosure Policy of the department. This is because by simply signing in to the site, local governments that have no websites may now use the common portal to post their financial documents.

In 2010, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2010-083 titled, “Full Disclosure of Local Budget and Finances, and Bids and Public Offerings,” mandating provinces, cities and municipalities to fully disclose specific financial transactions to keep their constituents informed of how the LGUs’ budget is managed, disbursed and used. The same circular was subsequently adopted as a requirement in the General Appropriations Act.

“Through this portal, the difficulties faced by LGUs in posting the required documents, such as the absence of a website and the prohibitive cost of print space, will be addressed,” said Assistant Secretary and concurrent BLGS Director Rolando M. Acosta during the recent launch at the Sulo Riviera Hotel in Quezon City.

More importantly, the portal also allows the public to view, download and print the financial documents of the LGUs.

Also present during the launch were DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda, and Gladys Selosa of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, among others. (DILG/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)