An April 27, 2011 press release by the Department of the Interior and Local Government
Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday called on all local chief executives (LCEs) to refrain from conducting trainings and seminars sourced from public funds outside of the geographical island of their respective local government units (LGUs).
“Local execs and presiding officers of sanggunians are hereby strongly discouraged to hold trainings and other similar activities outside of their territorial jurisdictions,” said Robredo in his directive to provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, punong barangays, sanggunian presiding officers and ARMM regional governor.
The DILG Secretary made the call as he noted that some local government officials and employees undertake trainings, seminars, workshops or similar activities in places outside of their official stations or jurisdictions funded out of public funds.
“This practice impacts on the ability of a local government to finance desirable development programs or projects, and delimits actions to bring about the constitutional mandate to provide quality of life for all,” he said.
Earlier, the DILG chief ordered a probe on the propriety of the seminar-workshops conducted by the city governments of Pasig, Mandaluyong and San Juan for their village officials held in Boracay, Baguio and Subic, respectively.
In February, the DILG issued a directive that requires that seminars for newly-elected barangay officials should be done “strictly on site” or within the respective LGU.
It only allows the conduct of orientation seminars outside the respective LGU when there is no available training facility.
In his directive, Robredo reminded local executives of Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 85-55-A which calls for the prevention of the incurrence of irregular, unnecessary, excessive or extravagant expenditures or uses of government funds and property.
Similarly, Administrative Order 103 issued in 2003 which provides for the maximization of the utilization of 20% of their Internal Revenue Allotment for development projects, he said.
“Local execs should take full cognizance of their principal responsibility and accountability relative to the prudent use of scarce financial resources and strict compliance with existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” he said.
Robredo, however, said that study tours or similar activities anchored on local governance may still be held outside the respective geographical island group provided that the places to be visited are included in the Galing Pook Foundation’s list of LGUs or other institutions that are recognized for observing best practices in governance.
The DILG Secretary also directed DILG regional directors and the ARMM regional governor to monitor and report the compliance/non-compliance of LGUs within their areas to the directive.
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