The paper a) describes the agricultural and health extension services delivery of three municipalities in terms of organizational structure, management, focus, resource allocation, and function before and after devolution; b) assesses the attitudes of the devolved agricultural and health extension technician towards the implementation of the Local Government Code (LGC) and their current functions; c) assesses the municipal extension performance across income-class differentiation in Laguna; d) determines the relationship between selected personnel characteristics and municipal extension performance as perceived by the devolved technicians; and e) identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the LGC as perceived by devolved extension technicians.
The unfavorable effects brought about by the implementation of the code include: a) negative reception of devolved workers towards the LGC and devolution, and their present functions, particularly, in low-income municipalities; and b) budget shortage in low-income class LGUs.
To address this, two options could be made. One is for LGUs to establish and maintain linkages with private sectors and institutions to have access to some resources and some useful information such as tips on income generation as well as on capability building. Another is for the local executives, particularly those in poor LGUs, to coalesce in formulating some sound resolutions and clear development plan that would enable them to become efficient and effective agents of development in their respective localities.
