Local Road Management Manual 105 much as possible rather than being ad-hoc, political or populist in nature. This is stage upon which the LGU has to decide what local roads to be rehabilitated or maintained based on the local road condition. This step will also identify any major road works needed to complete the local road network such as constructing a new local road, or improving or upgrading a local road. The prioritization of local road investments should be based on the following factors: i. Support to the Land Use Plan (Spatial Development). As noted several times, the local road network should always support the envisioned land use plan (or spatial development) of the LGU. Critical segments of the local road network mean that these local roads are essential to developing the planned growth centers of the LGU. LGUs may focus investments unto these “critical roads” to ensure that the growth centers function as planned. Once additional resources come, which may be realized through these growth centers, the LGU would then be able to channel such additional investments to other less-critical roads. In support of the land use plan, the LGU may also need the construction of new local roads; or the improvement of local roads; ii. Road Condition. The prioritization of local road investment should consider the current physical condition of the local roads. To preserve its road assets, the LGU should only prioritize maintenance works to local roads in good to fair condition. On the other hand, LGUs should ifrst rehabilitate local roads in poor to bad condition. Otherwise, implementing maintenance works unto local roads in poor to bad condition will likely result to rapid and unexpected deterioration. The level of rehabilitation and maintenance should be balanced by the LGU depending on the relative function of a local road to the over-all local road network. This may mean focusing on rehabilitation for local roads identiifed as critical to the local road network. Programming roads for rehabilitation will obviously entail higher investments. However, as more roads are rehabilitated, the investment costs for local roads will go down in the long run. This is because