MANILA CITY – The Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) kicked off its 35th founding anniversary on Monday, 03 October 2022, via Zoom, with the theme “Driving LGUs toward digital transformation and innovation”.  

OIC Executive Director Ma. Pamela P. Quizon recognized the critical role of the BLGF in responding to the urgent demands of national economic recovery and transitioning to the Covid-19 post-pandemic realities and challenges through digitalization measures.  

“The future is digital, and it is about time that we adhere to the call of the public for digital transformation in local governance, starting off with the digitalization of the local government finance”, OIC Executive Director Quizon said during the virtual flag-raising ceremony.  

Quizon highlighted the sound policies on local taxation, revenue administration and fiscal management issued by the BLGF among of which are the (i) Local Finance Circular No. 001-2022: Guidelines on the Imposition of Local Business Tax, Fees, and Charges on Service Contractors; and (ii) Department of Finance (DOF) Circular No. 052.2022 dated 26 July 2022: New Reporting Deadlines for the LGU Integrated Financial Tools (LIFT) System, and the Bureau’s ongoing projects and commitments for the year.  

“Before the year ends, the BLGF targets to complete the following: (i) Competency framework for local treasurers and digital literacy in treasury operations; (ii) issuance/launching of BLGF Manual on Real Property Appraisal and Assessment Operations (MRPAAO) 2nd Edition; (iii) Operationalization of the Advanced Competency in Local Treasury Examination (ACLTE) to complete the three-level Standardized Examination and Assessment for Local Treasury Service (SEAL) Program; (iv) Streamlining the Certification of Net Debt Service Ceiling and Borrowing Capacity of LGUs to amend the DOF Department Order No. 054.2016; and (v) Continuous implementation of the Local Governance Reform Project (LGRP)”, Quizon said.  

Deputy Executive Director Atty. Flosie Fanlo-Tayag led the launch of the anniversary brand campaign which promotes digital economy, sustainable finance, and good governance to future-proof the LGUs on the digitalization of processes adopted during the pandemic in the commitment towards a stronger, more effective, and responsive BLGF. 

“Starting today, we are going to tell the BLGF story of people, employees, local treasurers, local assessors, and all those involved in local government finance work, and how these people embodied the BLGF’s core values of Service Excellence, Integrity, Commitment to Public Service, Accountability, Teamwork, Creativity and Innovativeness, and Adaptability”, Atty. Fanlo-Tayag said in a message. 

The month-long anniversary celebration will highlight HR interventions and wellness for BLGF employees (18, 20 to 21 October), an international seminar on real property taxation in Southeast Asia with Professor William J. McCluskey (25 October), ceremonial recognition of the SEAL Program Level 1 of the Basic Competency in Local Treasury Examination (BCLTE) honorees and the top performing LGUs (26 October), and the BLGF Employees’ Association culminating program (28 October).