Vertical co-operation and co-ordination is all the more important in this perspective. The national government should take an active role in the creation and management of the MCDA and work with all relevant LGUs even before the application process to ensure full success of the application. Local governments need funding tools, capacity building in terms of effective public investment, and planning professionals need a working knowledge of how to prioritise and implement the plans they develop. In addition, the reliance of LGUs on national grants through the IRA, as well as the weakness of the proposed MCDA legislation regarding financing, indicates a real need for a more robust funding strategy and understanding of how to successfully achieve integrated public investment across levels of government. In this context, creating a more effective public investment framework is crucial (Box 4.4). For example, central government’s earmarked transfers could be better aligned with CLUPS for the entire Metro Cebu, so that national funds contribute coherently to local strategies.