MANILA, Philippines – With 336,000 newly-elected barangay officials assuming their post Tuesday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo asked them to govern righteously as they begin their three-year term in public office.

Robredo, in his directive to local officials, enjoined the barangay officials to promote and adopt good governance through transparency, responsiveness and accountability, urging barangay chairmen to conduct regular assembly to inform the public of their activities and accomplishments.

He noted that barangay officials should divulge publicly their programs, projects, activities and state of finances including the problems their barangay is facing and other related concerns.

To avoid being suspected of corrupt acts, Robredo asked the concerned barangays to post an itemized financial report including the monthly collections and disbursements, annual summary of income and expenditures, showing the amount and for what specific purpose the barangay funds were spent.

The DILG secretary said it is incumbent upon every barangay to provide prompt and adequate services to their constituents, and this can better be achieved   by undertaking  such services as barangay citizens’ charter,  an information desk, and more importantly,  disaster risk reduction and management committee,  as one of the committees of the barangay development council.

Robredo also urged every barangay to create their bids and awards committee which shall be responsible for the pre- and post-qualification of bidders, evaluation and awards of contract for winning bidders of barangay projects, even as he underscored the need for the inventory of barangay facilities and properties to ensure that all of them are properly documented and accounted for.

 Stressing that community participation must be evident in various barangay activities, he  asked barangay officials to ensure that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations are represented in barangay-based institutions such as barangay development council, barangay peace and order council, barangay council for the protection of children, barangay anti-drug abuse council, among others.

At the same time, Robredo enjoined city and municipal mayors to extend to barangay officials the necessary support for the successful implementation of their programs, projects and activities that run parallel to national government efforts at improving the lives of our people.