CAPACITY-BUILDING. The National Economic and Development Authority 8 (Eastern Visayas) office in Palo, Leyte. The agency has been conducting a series of capability-building activities for planning officers to enhance local government units' delivery of devolved functions due to the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling.(PNA file photo) TACLOBAN CITY - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 8 (Eastern Visayas) has been conducting a series of capability-building activities for planning officers to enhance local government units' delivery of devolved functions due to the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling, its chief said Friday. The series of training has been lined up this year by NEDA's recently reactivated Project Development Assistance Center, established to help local government units prepare good project proposals, NEDA-8 Director Bonifacio Uy said. The first was held from May 2 to 6, with some participating face-to-face and others virtually. "This is one of our proactive measures since there are more functions devolved to local governments starting this year," Uy told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The capability-building activities aim to provide the participants with an overview of the project development process and framework, including the theoretical background and foundations of project development in line with government objectives of promoting social and economic well-being, and practical knowledge, methodologies, and skills in conducting project development. This is the first capacity-building training by NEDA for local government planners since the pandemic broke out in early 2020, Uy said. Topics covered in the learning sessions include project development cycle, logical framework, market aspects, technical aspects, financial analysis, economic aspects, operational aspects, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects, and Investment Coordination Committee project evaluation process and templates. Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte issued the directive to boost the local government's preparation for more responsibilities with the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling in 2022. The Supreme Court Mandanas-Garcia ruling resulted from the petition made by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan governor Enrique Garcia Jr. before the Supreme Court on local government shares on internal revenue allotment (IRA). With the Mandanas-Garcia ruling implementation in 2022, it is projected that LGUs will have a 27.61 percent increase in the overall IRA shares. With the increased budget share, the LGUs are expected to be responsible for the funding and delivery of the activities, which have been devolved to them under Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, and other subsequent laws. Among the functions assigned to local governments based on the Local Government Code are agriculture programs, local infrastructures, environmental services, revenue mobilization, health services, maintenance of peace and order, employment facilitation, transportation, tourism, and housing. (PNA) }