MANILA – UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque wants to empower the country’s local government units (LGUs) by providing more funds for projects that benefit their constituents.

Roque, a former congressman, said he would refile his bill on the Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program if elected.

The bill guarantees an annual Local Development Fund (LDF) to help LGUs implement their three-year comprehensive development plans.

The BRAVE program seeks to allot a PHP500 million budget for each of the country’s 82 provinces, PHP100 million for each 145 cities, PHP50 million for each of 1,493 towns, and PHP5 million for each of 42,046 barangays.

“Panindigan ko po ‘yan dahil naniniwala po ako na kayo po talaga ang nakakaalam ng mga pangangailangan ng inyong mga constituents (I will stand by that because I believe that you really know the needs of your constituents),” he told local officials during the General Assembly of League of Municipalities of the Philippines on Tuesday.

“Pangako ko po LGUs po, malapit sa puso ko, itataguyod ko (I promise LGUs, close to my heart, I will support),” he added.

In 2019, Senator Panfilo Lacson filed a counterpart measure – Senate Bill 23 or the BRAVE program – but it did not prosper.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, LGUs are the biggest beneficiaries of the PHP5.024-trillion 2022 national budget signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. The national tax allotment, formerly known as the Internal Revenue Allotment, provides a record PHP959.04 billion allocation to local governments for 2022. (PR)