Attend 'Barangay Resiliency Summit', Abalos urges concerned barangay officials
By Chito Chavez

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. called on all the concerned barangay officials and members to attend the ‘Barangay Resiliency Summit’ on Oct. 12.
In Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2023-142, Abalos addressed his directive to the city and municipal mayors, DILG regional directors, punong barangays, Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC) and Barangay Ecological and Solid Waste Management Committee (BESWMC) in Regions III, IV-A, VIII, CARAGA and National Capital Region (NCR).
Abalos noted that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in partnership with the DILG and National Resiliency Council, will conduct the said summit dubbed as ‘Barangayan para sa Kalikasan at Bayang Matatag’ at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
He explained that the summit will be held in commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and celebration of the ‘Local Government Month.’
“The event aims to convene select barangays to forge stronger collaboration in advancing the resilience agenda and to showcase their respective barangay’s good practices in the fields of environmental protection, climate action and disaster risk reduction,’’ the MC noted.
In this regard, Abalos requested the concerned barangays to send three representatives who will not be in their last term in office, preferably the punong barangays, two Sangguniang members, in-charge of the disaster risk reduction and environment concerns.
Abalos also prodded the city and municipal mayors to provide the necessary support to the barangay participants in the summit.
All expenses of the summit representatives which may include applicable travel, hotel accommodations, meals and transportation costs may be authorized chargeable against local funds, in accordance with, and subject to all applicable accounting and auditing law, rules and regulation.
The DILG chief also directed all the DILG regional directors to ensure the participation of all the concerned barangay officials in the activity.