DILG Culminates Orientation for Newly Elected Officials

Recognizing the important role of local executives in achieving national development, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently held the NEO (Newly Elected Officials) Program for city mayors. Held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila from July 10 to 12, the orientation course for city mayors is part of the program to capacitate newly elected local government officials for their administrative and governance responsibilities.

The NEO program is “a continuing intervention of the DILG through the Local Government Academy (LGA) in its commitment to provide a harmonized and holistic capacity development delivery mechanism for local governments all over the country.”

Starting from their assumption of office this July 2019 until the end of their three-year terms by 2022,
the NEO Program aims to prepare officials to meet the needs of their local government units.

The 2019 phase of the program consists of five components:

1) Ensuring Smooth Transition. This covers proper turnover of documents and a discussion on the
current state of the LGU.

2) Jumpstarting Local Governance. Starting with the NEO Orientation, this component includes developing the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government. Lastly, it also includes NEO Online, an online platform containing various modules on health and education governance,
urban development, environmental management, etc.

3) Creating the Roadmap for LGU Development. The third part aims to steer the LGUs toward more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development.

4) Sharpening the Competencies of LGU Officials and Staff. This component involves not only elected
LGU officials but also their staff and other individuals that are critical to the LGU.

5) LGU Performance Management. Focusing on the performance assessment of the LGUs, the final component of the 2019 program will be initiated and managed by the Bureau of Local Government
Supervision (BLGS) with the DILG Regional Offices.