DILG tells LGUs to partner with CSOs against corruption

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has reiterated its call for local government units to actively engage with civil society organizations to restore public trust amid persistent issues of corruption.

DILG-6 Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero said Friday that the agency has long advocated transparency by directing LGUs to involve civil society in governance processes.

“They need to have an accredited CSO so that, aside from the local government officials, civil society NGOs are with them from the start—from planning to implementation,” he said.

This approach, he stressed, promotes participatory governance by involving civil society from the start, thereby enhancing transparency, accountability, and community engagement at the local level.

For DILG-locally funded infrastructure programs, Ingeniero said LGUs are directed to monitor projects’ effectiveness, implementation, and the status of all downloaded programs.

The infrastructure projects of DILG are implemented in communities through the Local Government Support Fund, including the Green Green Green Program, Support to the Barangay Development Program, and Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting programs.

He said the DILG strictly enforces its policy that any project not completed within two years must return its budget to the national government.

Unutilized or unaccomplished project funds are typically reverted to the source or Treasury after the project duration lapses without completion.

Ingeniero said this budget-return rule is part of the government’s effort to ensure prudent use of public funds and to avoid prolonged delays in project implementation where funds remain unutilized.

He added that unaccomplished projects also affect an LGU’s eligibility or pass status for the Seal of Good Local Governance, which promotes good governance, transparency, and accountability in public fund usage and project implementation.