DILG orders creation of transition team

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government has called on all the local chief executives to create their respective transition teams that will ensure the orderly and smooth turnover to the incoming local officials on June 30.

DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno has issued the directive for the creation of a Local Governance Transition Team to be chaired by the local chief executive and shall comprise all department heads in the local government unit, representatives from the DILG, Commission on Audit and a non-government or people’s organization as members.

The Transition Team shall conduct an inventory of all local government real or immovable properties such as lands, buildings, infrastructure facilities and improvements and machineries, as well as movable properties such as vehicles, office equipment, furniture, fixtures and supply stocks.

The team shall also look into all documents or records such as contracts, loan agreements, outstanding loan obligations, accounts payable, inventory of personnel by nature of appointment, organizational structure and all Executive Orders.

DILG-7 Director Pedro Noval said that the team must never fail to accomplish the important documents that need to be turned over to the next administration which include the latest Commission on Audit (COA) and Financial Performance Reports, the 2009 State of Local Governance Performance and State of Local Development, the 2010 Annual and Supplemental Budget and Annual Investment Plan and the Comprehensive Development Plan.

The Local Development Investment Plan, Comprehensive Land Use or Physical Framework Plan, Capability Development Agenda and Executive-Legislative Agenda must also be turned over.

The same team is tasked to organize a turn over ceremony to the incoming set of officials on June 30. The transition reports must be submitted to the office of the DILG Secretary through the Bureau of Local Government Supervision not later than July 16 this year.

Meanwhile, the DILG since last month has already prepared for a comprehensive training program that will be undertaken by the incoming set of local officials to develop and enhance their capabilities as managers for local development.

The program is dubbed as the Newly Elected Officials (NEO) Program that was initially offered on 2007 to achieve smooth transition, provide a run down on the critical steps during the first 100 days in office as local chief executives, review the current situation of the area they are about to manage and establish a provincial development roadmap for official to identify the common points of collaboration and cooperation of the cities and municipalities to bring about development in their area. - THE FREEMAN