An executive of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the Cordillera region said winners of the Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) polls have to undergo capacity-building training as part of their obligation in assuming office. 'They (SK officials) cannot assume even if they have already taken their oath if they do not present a certificate of completion of the mandatory training,' Araceli San Jose, director of the DILG-Cordillera, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Luzon leg of the Open Government Partnership campaign here Tuesday. San Jose said SK officials could request the National Youth Commission or the accredited Local Youth Development officers to conduct the training. The village officials, on the other hand, can ask the city director, the municipal local government officers, or the DILG for the orientation, she said, noting that among the topics of the DILG-led training are the village officials' duties and responsibilities, as well as what is expected of them based on different laws, such as the local government code. 'Everything they need to know and learn about barangay governance will be provided to them by the DILG,' San Jose said. She said a talk on procurement would be provided by personnel of the Government Procurement and Policy Board of the Department of Budget and Management. 'We want to make sure that the SK and the barangay officials will comply and adhere to the procurement laws of the government,' she added. Turnover Meanwhile, San Jose said the present set of village and SK officials have to coordinate with the city or municipal assessment and transition teams for the turnover of properties and records, which must be done before Nov. 21. 'It is not enough that they have taken their oath. There must be a turnover of properties, records, finances, and monetary financial accountabilities,' she said. According to DILG Memorandum Circular 166-2023, the turnover and transition have to be done 20 days after the election.
Source: Philippines News Agency