TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) –- The election period will affect local government activities and it is inevitable with the three-year term for local chief executives, said Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento.
Sarmiento expects that mayors, vice mayors and councilors will be busy campaigning in the remaining months prior to May 2016 elections.
“Whether we like it or not, local governance will be affected. For elected officials, first year is learning, second year is implementing and third year is campaigning. This is the reality,” said Sarmiento, who was here to meet police and fire officials in the city.
He also graced the groundbreaking and turnover of projects of the SOS Children’s Villages Philippines where he serves as member of the board.
Sarmiento said that “while local officials are busy campaigning”, the DILG-Local Government Academy is preparing an “honest to goodness” training course for governors and mayors.
“We will share some tools used by some of our leaders including late Secretary Jesse Robredo. We would want to inject this learning to local government units. It will not be academic, but sharing of experiences,” he said. (PNA)
LAP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO
