The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P8.08 billion to fund priority projects in 808 barangays cleared of insurgency under the Local Government Support Fund-Support to the Barangay Development Program.
The corresponding Special Allotment Release Order was approved by Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo on March 17.
Toledo said the release follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that no community is left behind and that development reaches even the most remote barangays.
He added that the fund aims to empower local communities, improve access to basic services, and create real opportunities for citizens to live safer, more productive, and dignified lives.
The LGSF-SBDP, a flagship program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, provides direct funding to barangays for projects identified through the Retooled Community Support Program and incorporated into Barangay Development Plans.
Planned initiatives include farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water systems, health stations, and electrification projects. The DBM said the funds would be released before the end of the month, with guidelines set under Local Budget Circular No. 168 dated February 16, 2026.
The program forms part of the administration’s 2026 LGSF initiative, designed to strengthen local governance and address the root causes of conflict through community-driven development.
Last February 23, Marcos ordered the direct release of P57.9 billion under the LGSF to support various local projects. ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio criticized the move, claiming it could be used to distribute pork barrel ahead of barangay and 2028 elections. Palace press officer Claire Castro dismissed the allegations as mere criticism and intrigue.
