Robredo warns LGUs vs out-of-town seminars

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on Wednesday reminded local government units to refrain from holding government-funded out-of-town seminars and trainings. Robredo issued the directive to provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, punong barangays, sanggunian presiding officers, and the regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). "Local execs and presiding officers of sanggunians are hereby strongly discouraged to hold trainings and other similar activities outside of their territorial jurisdictions," he said in a statement. The discouragement came in light of the recent controversy that surrounded an out-of-town seminar in Boracay for more than 330 village officials of Pasig City. "This practice [of holding out-of-town seminars] impacts on the ability of a local government to finance desirable development programs or projects, and delimits actions to bring about the constitutional mandate to provide quality of life for all," Robredo said. According to Robredo, the only time that an out-of-town study tour or seminar should be allowed is when the venue is included in the Galing Pook Foundation’s list of LGUs or other institutions that are recognized for observing best practices in governance. Govt regulations In his directive, Robredo also reminded the local executives of Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 85-55-A which calls for the prevention of the incurrence of irregular, unnecessary, excessive or extravagant expenditures or uses or government funds and property. Robredo also cited Administrative Order 103 issued in 2003 that particularly required local government units to "maximize" at least 20 percent of their respective Internal Revenue Allotment for "development projects." "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," he said. Robredo has already tasked regional directors of the Department of Interior and Local Government to monitor the compliance of the LGUs. Robredo earlier ordered an investigation into the Boracay seminar and eventually cleared the local government of Pasig after Mayor Bobby Eusebio explained that the participants also shared in the expenses of the trip, according to earlier reports. — RSJ, GMA News