Paying tribute to the meritorious contributions of the outgoing administration to the promotion of local government units (LGUs), the League of Governors of the Philippines (LGP) branded President Arroyo as the “most LGU-friendly President,” it was learned Sunday.

Eastern Samar Governor and Congressman-elect Ben Evardone, secretary general of the League of Governors, hailed the President for her initiatives in uplifting the welfare of the LGUs, proof of which were her frequent visits to remote barangays in different provinces nationwide.

Just last Saturday, she graced the groundbreaking of the VIP Jet Service Facility at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

She also inaugurated the DMIA’s new Passenger Terminal 1 Building.

“GMA was the most local government unit-friendly President we had.  She did not only increase the internal revenue allotment which were withheld by previous presidents, made the release of IRA automatic without passing through the Congress, but most importantly, she provided massive unprecedented infrastructure and human capital investments in the countryside,” he said in a statement issued over the weekend.

He even posed a challenge to the next administration to adopt the President’s pro-LGU policy.

“She also made it a point to consult LGUs on major policy issues through constant dialogues and actual visits even to remote barangays. Her being pro-LGU would be a tough act to follow,” Evardone said.

Arroyo and Evardone will be joining the 15th Congress of the Philippines as among the 221 newly elected representatives in the Lower Chamber.

Her victory did not come as a surprise in the 2nd district of Pampanga, her hometown province.

Her decision to seek a congressional seat drew flak from her consistent government critics who asked Supreme Court (SC) about the legitimacy of her decision to seek lower office.

It even fired up brewing criticisms that she wanted to be shielded from possible corruption charges that may be filed against her once she leaves Malacañang.

Days before she filed her certificate of candidacy, Arroyo said she was not ready to turn her back on public service so she decided to seek a seat at the Lower House.

She followed suit to the United States President John Quincy Adams, who decided to serve as Massachusetts’ representative to the US Congress for 17 years from 1831 until his death.

A former senator and vice president, Arroyo is only the second Philippine President to step down from Malacañang and seek lower office, next to former President Jose P. Laurel who became senator after his term as Chief Executive in 1951.