Wednesday, March 26, 2008 N. Mindanao village officials take seminar
SINCE January of this year, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) of Northern Mindanao have been conducting orientation-workshop aimed to orient and enhance the proficiency of barangay officials in the region, especially the newly elected ones, in managing the affairs of their respective barangays.
The orientation is simultaneously conducted around the country by all field officers of DILG. It is done in coordination with the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and is considered as a distance learning education, which means all orientations are done on-site in respective barangays or as joint activity with other barangays.
In Misamis Occidental, 321 barangays from its 11 municipalities and one component city had all undergone orientation by municipal local government operations officers and provincial staff of DILG.
The province of Lanao del Norte had already oriented 209 barangays from its 11 municipalities, while the province of Bukidnon had oriented 220 barangays from its 11 municipalities.
In the province of Misamis Oriental, 261 barangays from its 17 municipalities and one component city were already oriented, while the province of Camiguin had started with nine barangays from one municipality.
This General Orientation on Enhancing Proficiency of Barangay Officials towards Effective Governance is one of the three parts in the Barangay Newly-Elected Officials (NEO) program of the DILG. In the said orientation, all newly elected and even re-elected barangay officials will be oriented on all basic information about barangay government, with focus on the role of the barangay as the basic political unit. It intends to assist them in their performance of their duties and functions as development partners of the national government.
Other parts of the Barangay NEO program are on Strengthening of the Barangay-Based Institutions (BBIs) and conduct of Special Skills training. The first part emphasizes on teaching the barangay officials on BBIs-organization, functions and processes that will maximize their potential in barangay governance. The latter covers special trainings to be conducted by other identified national government agencies and other training institutions with focus on honing the special skills of the barangay officials.
The Barangay NEO program was designed by DILG, their training arm - the Local Government Academy, with the National Barangay Operations Office, DILG regional offices, ABC, and the local government units (LGUs).
Only the ABC handles registration fees. They also identify the training venue, shoulder the accommodation, and manage the billeting of participants and training management staff.
DILG's responsibilities are on designing the program, flow of the orientation, and organize regional or provincial teams of coaches based on the criteria set by the program. The office also prepares the local calendar of program offerings from NGOs, local resource institutions and private sectors that can be accessed or made available to barangays.
The LGUs meantime are enjoined to support DILG and the Liga in the implementation of the Barangay NEO program. They may also extend financial assistance to this program. (Press release)
