The Official Newsletter of DILG Region 5 HAMODYONG

Volume 1, Issue 1 FEBRUARY 2009

Inside this issue: DILG V gears up for 2009

AO IV Ma. Grace Joy Tango Paglaum Center 2 Inauguration As early as November – promotion of excellence in local 2008, the Department of the governance, strengthening of Panganiban mayor Interior and Local Government V peace and security and capacity delivers his Ulat sa 3 started preparing for 2009 by building of DILG V organic personnel. Along this line, Dir. Bayan way of a planning conference Maceda said that DILG V has to held on November 27, 2008. deliver local government capacity Newsbits 3 Dir. Blandino Maceda called development services, policy for the planning officers from the guidelines services and local Dir. Blandino M. Maceda discusses Director Maceda six DILG provincial offices and government development with the planning officers the policy convenes RPOC- 4 three Divisions to discuss and set services. The provision of these direction of DILG V for 2009 TWG the region’s target for 2009 as various services shall be the contained in the Annual basis for evaluating the Order No.739 on the Regional DILG Operations Plan and Budget performance of the provincial Peace and Order Council, hosts users’ training (AOPB), taking into consideration offices and three Divisions at the Spanish-funded project 5 end of 2009. on CDP the planning guidelines issued by Strengthening of Local the DILG top management. Preaparation He also focused his Governments (SLGP), Republic Dir. Maceda said that there discussion on policy areas that Act 9485 on project CURE and Legal al dia 6 are only three things to do that must be institutionalized, namely the need to improve information encompass everything as stated JMC No. 1 on Rationalized technology skills of DILG in the DILG’s vision and mission Planning System, Executive personnel. (Turn to page 2) For more information about DILG BICOL! APSEMO wins for 2008 Galing Pook Award

Visit our website at LGOO II Grace S. Mago www.dilg.gov.ph/region5 Albay’s Public Safety created to empower the Saranggani, and Emergency Management Office management capability of the attended the (APSEMO) won for the province province along public safety and replication inception workshop for the 2008 Galing Pook Award for disaster risk management. APSEMO as part of the excellence in local governance. Specifically, APSEMO focuses requirements in replicating on disaster preparedness, APSEMO in their respective

disaster response operations and provinces. APSEMO serves as the recovery, thereby minimizing loss APSEMO emerged as one of technical secretariat and or damage to lives and property. the top three winners among the administrative arm of the Earlier in 2008, representatives province of Albay and was from the provinces of 19 finalists nationwide from the 21 provinces. (Turn to page 2) P a ge 2 HA M O DY O NG Volume 1, Issue 1

PAGLAUM CENTER Inauguration

LGOO V Andres J. Ativo, Jr.

The Local Government Pagkain, Gamot at Kabuhayan, inauguration, Rev. Fr. Eusebio Unit of Mobo, in partnership a women’s project. Llonoso and all heads of offices with the Diocese of and employees of the Mobo. It was attended by Social Action Foundation, Inc. members of the three (3) Child (DIMASAFI) – CAPIU Abuse Prevention Intervention CORDAID, conducted the Units (CAPIU) of Masbate City, inauguration of PAGLAUM Aroroy, and Mobo together with CENTER for Women and the members of 5 Pillars of Children Survivors on January MOBO’s Hope Justice, namely Hon. Percival 30, 2009, at the Municipal D. Castillo, DILG Provincial Compound, Mobo, Masbate. Director Renato S. Alaurin,

PSWDO Amy Danao, Judge The launching activity, also Igmedio Camposano, Rev. Fr. included the blessing of the Leo V. Casas who was the UKP Halamanan ng Buhay guest speaker during the

DILG V gears . . . . from page 1

To carry out these services He directed the Information Unit their day-to-day dealings with the and attain the objectives, Dir. to prepare the 2009 local government units they Maceda reiterated the need to Communications Plan and serve. “Dir. Maceda said that there are make use of team strategy in incorporate therein only three things to do that anticipation of the communication activities so that implementation of the encompass everything – promotion the people will be kept informed of excellence in local governance, rationalization plan of the of what the Department is doing strengthening of peace and Department. for them. He further stressed on security and capacity building of Last but not the least, Dir. DILG V organic personnel. “ the need to come up with Maceda gave importance on the information kit on the DILG’s communication aspect of the programs for distribution to the programs as a tool for advocacy. MLGOOs which they can use in DILG V Planning Officers

APSEMO wins . . . . from page 1 The Galing Pook Award was Galing Pook 2008 presented promotion of people’s launched on October 1993 as a 138 entries that include cities, empowerment, transferability and pioneering program to recognize municipalities, provinces, sustainability and efficiency of and promote innovation and barangays and one entry for program service delivery. excellence in local governance. inter-LGU. Only 19 contenders To be a Galing Pook awardee Its objective is to search for and made it to the finals. The 2008 is a seal of good housekeeping, recognize outstanding programs National Selection Committee of local governments to help in was headed by UP professor for a setting of better standard of capacity building of LGUs by School of Economics Solita excellence and an affirmation of translating winning programs into Collas-Monsod and 14 others the local officials’ commitment to resource materials and from the private, government and good governance – a recognition knowledge products for non-government sectors. The which the province of Albay truly dissemination, promotion and criteria for selection include deserves. replication. positive results and impact, HA M O DY O NG Volume 1, Issue 1 P a ge 3

Panganiban mayor delivers his Ulat sa Bayan

LGOO II Rogel V. Maglaqui

As provided for in the heads of the different public and green and waste Local Government Code of 1991 schools, representatives of non- segregation. Mayor Angeles aims mandating the municipal mayor government organizations and to eradicate malnutrition by 2009. to present his program of other constituents on January 19, For infrastructure, he will focus government and proposed 2009. on having a Level 3 Water “ Mayor Angeles enumerated the policies and projects during the System that will cater to the various accomplishments of his administration for 2008 and his opening of the regular session of The report was made in a needs of the entire Poblacion proposed priority programs and the Sangguniang Bayan for every session of the Sangguniang and nearby barangays, projects to include nutrition, calendar year, Hon. Gregorio E. Bayan that was conducted in improvement of the Multi- grant of scholarship, health Angeles of Panganiban, public. In his report, Mayor purpose Building and Municipal care, clean and green and waste Catanduanes, delivered his Ulat Angeles enumerated the various Health Office, river control, segregation. “ sa Bayan before the 23 punong accomplishments of his concreting of municipal roads barangays of the municipality, administration for 2008 and his and a public market with bus LGU officials and employees, proposed priority programs and terminal. (Turn to page 6) employees of the national projects to include nutrition, grant agencies stationed in the locality, of scholarship, health care, clean

Newsbits

ASD holds orientation on housekeeping and the 2009 organization development financial management programs and projects of the managing the change process, Technical and Operations enhancing productivity and Services Division. competitiveness through the The Administrative citizens charter, together with Services Division headed by Chief compliance monitoring and Administrative Officer Henedina Updates on Project C.U.R.E benchmarking. Participants from T. Gonzales held the orientation- DILG V were Atty. Arnaldo Atty. Arnaldo Escober, LGOO workshop and updates on Escober, Jr, legal officer, LGOO IV Nedita Balucio, LGOO financial management for In line with the IV Nedita Balucio and LGOO II II/OIC HRM Pia Salameño administrative clerks, disbursing implementation of project C.U.R.E and OIC-HRM Pia S. Salameño. officers and accounting clerks posed with Mayor Jesse Robredo of (Comprehensive and Unified both from the regional office and Response to Eliminate Red Tape Naga City the six DILG provincial offices. in Local Governments) the The national coaches training Specifically, the participants national coaches training was was followed by the conduct of were oriented on the details of the held on January 26-30, 2009 at the roll out for the regional new disbursement system the Local Government Academy, coaches training for Cluster 3 pursuant to DBM Circular Letter Los Baños, . composed of regions 4A,4B and V on February 2-5, 2009. No. 2008-11 dated December 12, The participants during the 2008, result of CSC personnel training were composed of DILG The training was facilitated by audit, RA 9184 (Procurement and CSC personnel from all the Local Government Academy Act), RA 9470 (An Act to regions who will serve as national in coordination with the Civil Strengthen the System of coaches at the regional and Service Commission, Presidential USEC Eduardo Soliman and LGA Management and Administration provincial level. Anti Graft Commission, Office of Director Marivel Sacendoncillo during of Archival Records, Establishing the Ombudsman and the the National Coaches Training for The participants were for the Purpose the National Development Academy of the project C.U.R.E at LGATC, Los intensively oriented on the law Archives of the and for Philippines. (Turn to page 4) Baños, Laguna with the DILG V other Purposes), 5S on good itself in the context of local national coaches development, changing context of HA M O DY O NG Volume 1, Issue 1 P a ge 4

Dir. Maceda convenes RPOC technical working group

Being the secretariat of Assistant Secretary Tomasito Dir. Maceda said that the Regional Peace and Order Monson suggested that projects in order to ensure the efficient Council (RPOC), Dir. Blandino M. in the barangays should be and effective implementation of Maceda convened the heads of implemented on a demand- the project, the convergence the different RPOC member line driven basis and that there approach in project and service agencies on should be no duplication of implementation should be February 10, 2009 to discuss on projects of other agencies. adopted by stakeholders. various government programs that are on-going and other projects for implementation in In line with the identified barangays affected by implementation of said projects, insurgency. Lt.Col. Cabanzo of the Philippine Army suggested that an RPOC Project Monitoring Team be Among the projects created to monitor and validate that are presently implemented project implementation and Ms. include seeds dispersal project of Pitero of DSWD and Atty. Enrile the Department of Agriculture of NBI supported the move by (DA), “Botika sa Barangay” of the suggesting that local government Department of Health (DOH) and units and its respective city/ “Tindahan Natin” of the municipal peace and order Department of Social Welfare council be included in the and Development (DSWD). monitoring team RPOC Technical Working Group during its meeting on February 10, 2009

Newsbits . . . . from page 3

LCEs of SLGP LGU-beneficiaries DILG , Albay, attend EXCEL course conclude training on CDP preparation for MLGOOs

Thirty-nine out of the 54 LGU-beneficiaries of the The DILG provincial Strengthening of Local Gvoernments offices of , in the Philippines (SLGP) project Camarines Sur and Albay recently from the six provinces of Bicol concluded the conduct of the skills attended the Executive Leadership training on guide for Comprehensive course held in Corregidor Island, Development Plan (CDP) on February 2-4, 2009. preparation for MLGOOs and the The training was held in order to technical staff of the regional and further enhance the leadership skills DILG provincial offices on February of local chief executives. Mayor 9-13, February 16-19 and February Jesse Robredo of Naga City shared 23-26, 2009, respectively. with the participants the best The training was facilitated by the practices of Naga in making local Technical Services Division chief governance work. Engr. Dave de Guzman, DILG The training was facilitated by the Catanduanes OIC-Provincial The DILG V Regional coaches for project C.U.R.E Local Government Academy, the Director Arnel Madrideo and LGOO training arm of the DILG. V Imelda Bataller. HA M O DY O NG Volume 1, Issue 1 P a ge 5

DILG Catanduanes hosts users’ training on guide for CDP preparation

The DILG Catanduanes provincial office hosted the users’ training on guide for Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) preparation on March 3-6, 2009 at the DILG Office, Capitol Bldg., Virac, Catanduanes. with Hon. Joseph C. Cua, provincial governor and Dir, Blandino M. Maceda, DILG Regional Director as guests of honor during the opening program. In his message, Gov. Cua shared some insights on planning that underscored his experiences both in the private and public DILG Bicol . . . on its way to greater accomplishments! sectors. He said that when it comes to planning, there seems to be no difference in both the private and public sector but was a CDP. The attendance of 11 quick to add that public sector planning is MPDCs and one technical staff of wider in scope and involves a great magnitude one municipality in Catanduanes of people needing the services but the was a result of the collaborative resources are limited. He emphasized the effort of the League of Planners need to protect the life support system both for in the province and the DILG future and present generations. He called on Provincial Operations Office the local planners and DILG officers whom he headed by by OIC-PD Arnel R.L. treats as his partners to look into the various Madrideo. Gov. Joseph Cua sharing his insights on planning for plans, programs and projects presently development implemented by their respective local The regional training team is government units and those that are yet to be composed of Engr. David F. de implemented and evaluate its impact on the Guzman, Jr., Imelda B. Bataller overall development of the island. and Rafael de la Rama, Jr. OIC PD Madrideo augments Director Maceda, on the other hand, looked manpower complement of the back in time when the local planning office and team. RD Maceda also provides planning officers were starting to carve their technical inputs as resource own niche in local government units and in the person. larger context of governance. He stressed on the need for better partnership among the present day municipal planning and Dir. Maceda stresses on the need for better development coordinators and the DILG partnership between and among MPDCs and frontline officers. He called on the participants DILG Officers to make full use of the activity to update and enhance their skills and knowledge on comprehensive planning within the framework of the rationalized planning system. DILG Officers and MPDCs attend The training in Catanduanes was the 4th leg in the series of trainings in the region CDP training aimed to equip DILG officers and technical personnel with skills needed as they provide technical support to LGUs in the preparation of OIC-PD Arnel Madrideo facilitated the conduct of the CDP training HA M O DY O NG Volume 1, Issue 1 P a ge 6

(legal updates)

Issue: Whether or not the designation of the LCE’s nephew as OIC Municipal Assessor constitutes nepotism.

Held: In Laurel V, etc. versus Civil Service Commission (203 SCRA 195); the Court held that “the appointment or designation as Acting Provincial Administrator was violative of the prohibition against nepotism” then embodied in Section 49, P.D. No. 807 (Sec. 59 Book V EO 292). Moreover, the Court emphatically agreed with the Civil Service Commission that "although what was extended to Benjamin was merely a designation and not an appointment . . . the prohibitive mantle on nepotism would include designation, because what cannot be done directly, cannot be done indirectly:"(emphasis supplied)

“The rule admits of no distinction between appointment and designation. Designation is also defined as "an appointment or assignment to a particular office"; and "to designate" means "to indicate, select, appoint or set apart for a purpose of duty." (Black's Law Dictionary, Fifth ed., 402)”

It seems clear to us that Section 49 of P.D. No. 807 does not suggest that designation should be differentiated from appointment. Reading this section with Section 25 of said decree, career service positions may be filled up only by appointment, either permanent or temporary; hence a designation of a person to fill it up because it is vacant, is necessarily included in the term appointment, for it precisely accomplishes the same purpose. Moreover, if a designation is not to be deemed included in the term appointment under Section 49 of P.D. No. 807, then the prohibition on nepotism would be meaningless and toothless. Any appointing authority may circumvent it by merely designating, and not appointing, a relative within the prohibited degree to a vacant position in the career service (203 SCRA at 208-209).

HAMODYONG Panganiban Mayor . . . . from page 3 He also said that his support in order to attain all the EDITORIAL BOARD & STAFF administration will be as program targets for 2009. Vice Hamodyong is the official monthly newsletter of DILG Region 5, with Editorial transparent as ever until the end Mayor Norman Camantigue Office at 2nd Floor, DILG Regional Office V, St., Legazpi City of his term in 2010. through the Sanggunian Bayan assured the mayor of their Editor Mayor Angeles expressed support. Gov. Cua in a short MA. GRACE JOY TANGO gratitude to Rep. Joseph message likewise committed Contributors Santiago, Gov. Joseph Cua and support to Mayor Angeles’ DESIGNATED INFORMATION OFFICERS OF DILG the members of the Sanggunian administration by way of funding PROVINCIAL OFFICES & DIVISIONS Bayan of Panganiban, the some of the LGU’s proposed Department heads, employees Layout Artist projects. Gov. Cua was in and the people of Panganiban for EDEN S. LANUZA Panganiban also to distribute their continued trust and support Illustrator/Cartoonist relief goods to families who were in the implementation of his TON PASANO affected by floods due to programs and projects. He continuous heavy rains. Support Staff appealed to the members of the MICHELLE REDITO RYAN DEL ROSARIO Sanggunian Bayan, barangay Circulation Managers officials, LGU employees and all MARLENE PORTEM / EFREN DE ASIS his constituents for continued Consultant RD BLANDINO M. MACEDA