MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Ralph Recto met with local government leaders to deepen partnership on the timely and transparent use of the 2026 national budget, Malacañang said Wednesday. In a statement, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) said the meeting complied with the directive of President Ferdinad Marcos Jr. “to truly make LGUs (local government units) not as mere recipients but active partners in utilizing the country’s financial resources." "The consultation focused on a rules-based aligning of national priorities with local needs, improving fund utilization, which will be based on a verifiable and measurable social good that the LGSF (Local Government Support Fund) can create," the OES said. The recently signed General Appropriations Act for 2026 earmarked P1.4 trillion in downloadable funds to provinces, cities, towns and barangay (villages).