LGUs told to create transition team

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government has directed all local chief executives to create transition teams and prepare for an effective, orderly, and smooth turnover to incoming local officials on June 30.

In a statement sent to The FREEMAN, DILG secretary Mar Roxas said that this is to ensure continuity in local governance after next month’s midterm elections.

In a directive to all provincial governors, city and town mayors, Roxas said that the so-called Local Governance Transition Teams shall be chaired by the local chief executive and have as its members all department heads in the local government unit and representatives from the DILG, Commission on Audit, and a non-government or people’s organization.

Roxas identified one of the transition team’s main tasks as taking an inventory of all local government property, real or immovable, such as land, buildings, infrastructure facilities, and machineries, as well as movable ones such as vehicles, office equipment, furniture, fixtures and supply stocks.

Roxas said that the transition team has to assemble all documents or records like contracts and loan agreements, an inventory of personnel by nature of appointment, organizational structure and Executive Orders.

He identified the other documents that should be turned over, such as the previous year’s reports on State of Local Governance Performance, State of Local Development, Financial Performance by the Commission on Audit; Local Development Investment Plan; CY 2013 Annual Investment Plan; Comprehensive Land Use or Physical Framework Plan; Capability Development Agenda; Executive-Legislative Agenda; and Full Disclosure Policy documents.

He further said that each transition team has the additional task to organize a turn-over ceremony that will include a briefing on the state of performance and state of development of the local government unit, as well as financial and key challenges to incoming officials.  (FREEMAN)