In building connections between local and national government
DILG, ULAP spearhead Local Governance Summit 2024

CITY OF MALOLOS – To elevate public service and build stronger connections between local and national government officials, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) spearheaded the two-day Local Governance Summit 2024 under the theme ‘LGUs sa Bagong Pilipinas: Smart. Resilient. Driven’ at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City last August 22-23, 2024.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. said that the summit is in compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen the working relationship between the national government and the local government units, hence, brought together 3,000 local leaders and stakeholders including Bulacan Governor Daniel R. Fernando and Vice Gov. Alexis C. Castro, to explore new innovations and exchange best practices in governance and public service delivery.

In his message, President Marcos encouraged the local chief executives to live up to the responsibilities of their positions.

“This is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the huge responsibility that we all hold in our hands-the ability to transform our respective communities and the lives of those that are in those communities under the banner of Bagong Pilipinas,” the president said.

Meanwhile, Fernando acknowledged the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving the goal of effectively serving the people.

“Sa Bulacan, alam natin ang importansya ng collaborative efforts mula sa ating mga tanggapan, ahensiya at mga stakeholder ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan, na siyang nagiging tulay upang ang mga pagsubok, sa halip na maging balakid ay maging oportunidad upang ang lalawigan ay mas mapabuti,” the People’s Governor said. Among the topics discussed during the first day include national policies and advocacies for local government units (LGUs) and reviewing of three decades of LGU Innovations and Best Practices while on the second day, key topics include digital transformation in governance, smart infrastructure and urban design, climate resilience, environmental governance, public health and safety, as well as transparency, accountability and community engagement.