CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Interior and Local Government in Northern Mindanao (DILG-10) urged local government units (LGUs) here to create their respective Local Investment and Incentive Codes (LIIC) to attract investors.
In a statement Friday, DILG-10 Director Wilhelm Suyko said other than the Annual Investment Plan (AIP), the LGUs must identify priority areas for investment through LIIC, which can lead to the creation of economic zones.
"In Northern Mindanao, there is only one economic zone and this is the Phivedec Industrial Estate (in Misamis Oriental)," he said.
Suyko likewise noted that the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) is an important partner in establishing LIICs in LGUs.
PCL regional chairman and City Councilor George Goking said the creation of LIIC is a vital discussion, especially for the newly elected officials, for them to know the exact process of budgetary placement to their respective LGUs.
Lanao del Norte PCL President Lyndon Abucay reiterated that the usual practice of LGUs to draft an annual budget first is discouraged because an AIP must be submitted first before the budget is approved.
Meanwhile, the DILG-10 through the Project Development Management Unit (PDMU), facilitated a recent regional dialogue among local chief executives (LCEs) for the implementation of the Local Government Support Fund-Support to Barangay Development Program.
Suyko said the activity aimed to discuss the implementation status of the SBDP relative to the performance of each implementing LGU and further agree on strategies to expedite the operation of the projects that would benefit their respective localities.
"It is our mission to obtain inclusive and sustainable peace through intensified development of our programs and projects in communities that were once threatened and vulnerable to insurgency. Hence, we have initiated this dialogue to monitor and expedite such processes for the benefit of the greater community," Suyko said.
He also encouraged the LGUs to prioritize and mobilize their resources to make the government’s presence consistently felt, especially in hinterland communities. (PNA)
