The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged its officials in Western Visayas to establish a framework that will define the boundaries of their authority for a more efficient delivery of public service.

He also prodded them to come up with the set of parameters to define their mandated responsibilities and to work together to attain the goals of adopting a common policy and system for an improved public service.

Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. issued this call during the recent coordination and consultation activity attended by the region’s DILG officials and executives including the newly-designated department heads.

The DILG chief also exhorted the undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors from the Bureaus and Services of the Central Office, regional directors and provincial and city directors to align the DILG’s mandate with the advocacies of other national government agencies.

“Importante na malinaw ang responsibilidad ng bawat isa, at kung anong authority meron tayo para wala nang gulo in the future (It is important that the responsibility of each and everyone is clear, and whatever authority we have to ensure that no confusion occurs in the future). Set the goals, set the system of how we do it, and the rest ay nasa atin kung gaano tayo kasipag na gawin ito (is up to us on how hard working we are to do it),’’ Abalos stressed.

Abalos also expressed his gratitude to the DILG family for the utmost cooperation and dedication of everyone during his visit to the regional offices as part of his efforts to extend support down to the grassroots level.

“The Executives’ and Field Officers’ Dialogue is a milestone for DILG Western Visayas as it hosts the first big national event of the new administration,’’ the DILG said.

DILG Region 6 Director Juan Jovian E. Ingeniero noted that the dialogue would allow DILG leaders to build a foundation for new things for the department, a new set of leaders to direct its path and new priorities to conquer.

“Embracing the ideals of DILG being matino, mahusay at maasahan, we are all definitely ready to take whatever challenge there is through collective acts of refocusing, redirecting and rebuilding. That is what being stronger together for local governance should also be,” Ingeniero said.

Abalos pointed out that much has to be worked on and discussed, things like the Covid-19 Endemic Update Protocols on Mask Mandate Outdoors.

He also stressed the need for more flexibility in the implementation of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), in view of several changes.

Likewise, Abalos discussed several factors that must be considered, such as the decline in financial standing faced by several LGUs, prioritization of digitalization that may be adopted to get rid of corruption, and the need to capacitate local governments in light of the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling by reassessing the Local Government Code.

The ruling is a result of two separate petitions filed by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia Jr. before the Supreme Court requesting the basis of computation of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs be adjusted to include national taxes. (Chito A. Chavez)