Over 3000 Central Visayas barangay chiefs take oath before President Duterte

President Duterte swearing in the newly-elected barangay officials in Central Visayas in Lapu-lapu City

Over 3,000 newly-elected barangay captains in Central Visayas took their oath of office before Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte on Thursday at Hopps Dome, Humay-Humay Road, Brgy. Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

DILG OIC-Secretary Eduardo M. Año encouraged the newly-installed punong barangays to share the national government’s vision to prevent illegal drugs, criminality, corruption, and violent extremism in their respective barangays.

“We have one vision: To make our barangays a better and safer place and ultimately make our country a better Philippines,” Año said.

The DILG chief also urged the new local officials to help spread the merits of federalism in their respective Barangays.

Of the 3,003 punong barangays who took their oath of office, 1,109 are from Bohol, 1,066 from Cebu, 80 from Cebu City, 30 from Lapu-Lapu City, 27 from Mandaue City, 557 from Negros Oriental, and 134 from Siquijor. 
Año  said that being a punong barangay is both challenging and fulfilling as they are sometimes forced to make decisions that might differ from their beliefs and principles.

“We all know that your position as Chiefs in your respective barangays comes with a huge and deep personality,” Año said.

“Ngayon na kayo ay pormal nang maluluklok na mga Kapitan ng inyong Barangay, dapat ang inyong prayoridad ay ang kapakanan ng inyong mga nasasakupan,” he added.

Campaign for Community Involvement                Año called on the barangay captains to provide good governance to their constituents.

“Ibigay ninyo kung ano ang makapagpasaya sa inyong mga nasasakupan pero siyempre iwasan naman ang mga hindi karapat-dapat kagaya ng sugalan, bahay-aliwan o mga tupadahan,” Año said.

DILG’s top management also took center stage during the event to campaign for community involvement on the government’s fight against illegal drugs, criminality, corruption, and violent extremism.

Also present in the event were Undersecretaries Martin Diño and Epimaco Densing III and Assistant Secretaries Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, Manuel Felix, and Alexander Macario.

The oath-taking ceremony in Central Visayas is the first of the series of regional events for the newly-installed barangay captains in the Philippines.

The event is made possible through the collaboration of the DILG Central Office, DILG VII Regional Office, Presidential Management Staff, Philippine Information Agency, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Presidential Security Group and Local Government Unit of Cebu.

(Reposted from DILG News website. Original title: DILG: 3,000 new-elected barangay capains take oath of office in Central)  Photo credit: Presidential Communications