Photos from: Phaltra, Inc.

Olongapo City – The Department of Finance (DOF) Revenue Generation and Local Finance Group Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Undersecretary Dakila Elteen Napao, together with the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Central and Regional Office Directors, participated in the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors (PHALTRA), Inc. 87th National Convention Seminar-Workshop, on 14 to 17 February 2023, at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in Olongapo City.  

In a message, on behalf of DOF Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, OIC Undersecretary Napao congratulated the PHALTRA for spearheading the convention, with the theme “Finance Managers: Way Ahead to Transformation”, as a venue to discuss measures to face the economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the global recession.  

“As local finance managers, we can tackle these measures by exercising initiatives to improve revenue generation using the vast taxing powers provided by existing laws, adopting “out of the box” strategies and fiscal management system, implementing austerity measures for proper resource management, and maximizing the great potentials of the real property tax through market-based schedule of market values and conduct of general revision of real property assessment”, Napao urged.  

Napao underscored the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform (RPVAR) bill, a priority bill of the Marcos Administration, once passed into law, will allow the national government and local government units (LGUs) to attain a just, equitable, and efficient real property valuation system in the country and improve the LGUs’ delivery of basic goods and social services.  

Also highlighted in the said convention is the BLGF’s strategic thrusts for CY2023: (i) strengthen local finance pursuant to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 3rd Point: Ensuring sound macroeconomic fundamentals (Enhance bureaucratic efficiency and sound fiscal management); (ii) professionalize the local treasurers through the Standardized Examination and Assessment on Local Treasury Service (SEAL) program Advanced Competency on Local Treasury Examination (ACLTE) curriculum; (iii) regularly monitor the LGUs fiscal performance, data analysis and performance standards through the LGU Integrated Financial Tools (LIFT) System, LGU Fiscal Sustainability Scorecard (FSS) and Local Government Financial Performance Monitoring System (LGFPMS);  (iv) streamline the Certification of the Net Debt Service Ceiling and Borrowing Capacity of LGUs amending the DOF DO No. 054.2016; (v) institutionalize the national performance recognition of best practices of LGUs in the areas of local public financial management and resource mobilization; (vi) capacitate the local treasury and assessment services through partnership with the Philippine Tax Academy; (vii) improve the local treasury appointments and designation process; and (viii) continue the technical supervision over the local treasury and assessment service through updating of manuals and establishment of the BLGF Regional Office BARMM.