Abalos tells local executives to allow council members attend PCL assembly
By Chito Chavez
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. urged the country’s city and municipal mayors to allow their council members to participate in the year-end assembly of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL).
Abalos issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-137 following the request made by PCL’s national chairman Vandolf Quizon and national president Handy Lao to entice the local chief executives (LCE) to make their council members available for the event that will be held in Angeles City in the first week of December.
Coinciding with the event is the conduct of the 6th Asian Council Forum (ACF) Annual Conference which is the council that covers 48 sovereign states and six partially sovereign independent territories within the continent of Asia.
Established in 2016, the ACF was aligned with the PCL’s vision towards global competitiveness through the creating networks and camaraderie with other nations.
In the 2021 ACF conference, the PCL was chosen by the international delegates to spearhead the 6th Asian Council Forum.
Abalos in his MC stated that the PCL assembly welcomes the country’s newly-elected councilors while providing the current members with the knowledge and skills on legislative and public administration works.
The payment of applicable traveling expenses and registration fee, of any, to defray the cost of hotel accommodations, meals and conference materials, per participant, may be authorized, chargeable against available local government funds,’’ the MC noted.
Abalos continued that this is in accordance with, and subject to applicable limitations prescribed in Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 2012-003 dated Oct. 29, 2012. (Chito A. Chavez)