MANILA, Philippines—Take it from Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo: Seminars for local government officials are not intended to be summer escapades.
In fact, officials and employees of local government units (LGUs) are “strongly discouraged” from conducting training sessions, seminars and meetings “outside of their territorial jurisdictions,” according to a memorandum that Robredo issued Wednesday to governors and mayors, as well as barangay captains and presiding officers of provincial and town councils.
He issued the directive following reports that a number of officials of three cities in Metro Manila recently conducted what appeared to be junkets in expensive hotels in the resort island of Boracay, Baguio City and Subic.
Robredo, a former mayor of Naga City and recipient of a Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, pointed out that the Commission on Audit had issued a memorandum circular urging government agencies to avoid incurring “irregular, unnecessary, excessive or extravagant expenditures or uses of government funds and property.”
He said the apparent penchant of local officials to hold seminars out of town “impacts on the ability of a local government to finance desirable development programs or projects.”
He added that spending public funds for such events “delimits actions to bring about the constitutional mandate to provide quality of life for all.”
Prudent use of resources
In an earlier interview, Robredo said training seminars for local officials should be conducted only within their regional territory.
He said LGUs could hold workshops and related activities outside their jurisdiction only “when there is no available training facility” in their area.
“Local execs should take full cognizance of their principal responsibility and accountability relative to the prudent use of scarce financial resources and strict compliance with existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” the interior secretary said.
He said LGUs could still conduct study tours, but only in places and institutions recognized by the Galing Pook Foundation.
Recently, barangay officials of Pasig City came under fire for conducting a training seminar in a posh resort in Boracay.
Barangay officials in the cities of Mandaluyong and San Juan also conducted similar seminars in Baguio and Subic, respectively, Robredo said.
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