CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PNA) -– A Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) official here expressed optimism on Tuesday that new faces and youth leaders taking the reign in the barangays may inject vigor and dynamism to the barangay local government unit.
In an interview with the PNA here, DILG City Director Lenie R. Bautista said they plan for the mass oath-taking of the village poll winners in the city’s 54 barangays with the approval of Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco.
She said that while the term of the incumbents end on noontime of Nov. 30 which holiday pays tribute to the country’s “Brain of the Katipunan” hero Andres Bonifacio’s 150th birth commemoration, so the barangay winners may schedule their oath taking rites before that.
“It is advisable that they have taken their oath before they can assume their elective post and have complied with the Comelec rule to file their statement of election contributions and expenditures so there won’t be any glitches,” Director Bautista urged.
She welcomed the 20 new village leaders so far proclaimed as some of these are third-termer kagawad (village councilors) who challenged the chairmanship post while 34 are re-elected village chiefs from the city’s 54 barangays,.
The DILG city director also pointed to her reminders during the candidates forums and covenant signing that the village leaders should possess intelligence, demonstrate sympathy for village constituents and spend time for serving the barangay constituency.
“Kailangan alam nila ang mga pangyayari sa kanilang nasasakupan, magbigay sila ng oras doon sa barangay. Ideally, kailangan nandoon sila palagi at kailangan may tao ang barangay hall,” Bautista stated.
(It is necessary they are aware of the situations in their localities and spend time in their barangays as ideally they should be there and their barangay halls should be manned.)She reiterated her instructions to barangay secretary-treasurer that from Monday to Friday or even on Saturday, the barangay hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to serve their barangay constituents.
This also includes, Bautista added, even for the night shifts besides designating the officer-of-day and the tanod (village watchmen) so they can also respond for any village disturbance at night.
Ideally also if we have seven 7 kagawads (councilors) so we are assured of a kagawad in charge of at least a day in a week and so this means the barangay hall is always open, said Bautista.
The DILG director also described her three types of public servants: one who has sympathy for the community or the country; who values service for others and one who ran for the elective post for reasons of achieving the status symbol for position and influence.
“Alin ba kayo doon, bakit gusto ninyong magsilbi sa barangay (which type are you and why do you aspire to serve your barangay),” Bautista asked the new village leaders.
She also urged barangay leaders to utilize the funds they have for the welfare of their constituents through the internal revenue allotment (IRA) which the barangay automatically receives pursuant to the Local Government Code.
She explained that the bigger the barangay, its population, land area and business and industries in the locality, the bigger IRA from the taxes especially with the 25 % on real property taxes, “cedulas” (residence taxes), barangay clearance and fees as boosters to the barangay income.
Bautista has also scheduled a meeting with the barangay outgoing leaders to form a transition team per DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-115 issued by Secretary Mar Roxas before the barangay leadership turn-over rites.
The DILG memo tasked the transition team to ensure all financial records and transactions are intact; and all officials in actual possession of, or entrusted, with the custody of supply or property are held accountable for such, Bautista expounded, even for on-going projects that underwent the proper bidding procedures have to be turned over.
“Kung magaganda naman yung mga proyektong naiwan sa kanila, ipagpatuloy nila, lalu’t higit na mas marami ang makikoinabang. Huwag naman dahil hindi mo proyekto, kailangan mong palitan,” Bautista appealed.
(If the on-going projects are good, then they should sustain them especially a lot of constituents will benefit from them. Not because they have not initiated these as theirs, they can just scrap these projects).
She said the transition team will ensure a smooth and orderly transfer of responsibilities to the newly elected barangay officials.
Although given the mandate, the new leaders have the prerogative to appoint their working team and these mandate and power should be respected unless the appointments such as those for the barangay secretary or treasurer may be renewed, Bautista said.
Documents should be intact and be turned over to the new barangay secretary contrary to the past practices when the records are also brought out by the outgoing leaders and staff as they end their term so there is no continuity, she explained.
Bautista said the DILG memo to the out-going barangay leader is to organize a turn-over ceremony, with the inclusion of a state of the barangay governance, financial performance and key challenge to the incoming officials including the vital documents.