(Photo from DOTr Facebook page) MANILA - The authority to construct and develop ports in the country has been delegated to the local government units (LGUs), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Tuesday. The statement was issued, after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) bared that the DBM disapproved its request for PHP800 million in funding for the construction and upgrade of at least 36 ports and docks in 2023. Citing Republic Act (RA) 9170 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the DBM said the DOTr's request was rejected, since the LGUs are in charge of the port construction and modernization. "Per Section 17(B) item 8 of the Local Government Code of the Philippines, and pursuant to the Supreme Court Ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia Case, the construction of local ports has already been devolved to the local government units," the Budget department said in a press statement. The DBM was referring to the specific provision which contains the basic ser