Preface 10 PREFACE Local roads are key components of the Philippine Road Network. Local roads support the movement of people and goods among communities, production areas, and markets. The development and management of local roads are mandates of Local Government Units (LGUs) by virtue of the Local Government Code of 1991. Local Road Management is considered a critical function of LGUs as these provide access to public goods and services. In pursuit of its function to assist in improving the capabilities of LGUs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has prepared a Local Road Management (LRM) Manual. This has been possible through the technical assistance and support of the Australian Government through the Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF) Program which ran from 2009— 2016. PRMF was implemented in ten partner provinces in the Visayas (Aklan, Guimaras, and Bohol), and Mindanao (Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Surigao del Norte). Currently, DILG, in partnership with DBM, is implementing a Program that took off from the PRMF Program called Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces for Road Repair, Rehabilitation, and Improvement. CMGP is implemented in all Provinces nationwide, and aims to provide assistance to Provinces for provincial road works and institutionalize governance reforms in Local Road Management (LRM) and Public Financial Management (PFM). The LRM Manual aims to provide guidance on the planning, programming, design, construction, and maintenance of local roads. The manual will be a valuable tool for LGUs in sustainably managing their local road network. With this, LGUs could improve its local road management practices which shall result to a more effective and eiffcient delivery of front-line services. This can only be realized through a well-maintained and responsive local road network that is properly developed and managed by LGUs.