Human trafficking, illegal drugs and terrorism are high on the agenda of senior officials from ten ASEAN member countries during the 10th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) which formally started today at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.  Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, who delivered the keynote address during the meeting, said there is a need to strengthen regional cooperation and commitment against these crimes and the other transnational crimes identified in the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime in 1997 namely, piracy on the high seas, cyber crimes, intellectual property, money laundering  and…

The Philippines shall host this year’s 10th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) to be attended by senior officials from ten ASEAN member-countries in Makati City from October 25 to 29, 2010.  Expected to attend the high-level ASEAN meet are senior officials from ASEAN member states (AMS) namely, Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Lao PDR, Malaysia , Myanmar , Singapore , Philippines , Thailand and Vietnam ; other country delegates of the AMS; representatives from dialogue partner countries and other international organizations.  Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, who shall deliver the keynote speech during…

Unceasing in its efforts to accelerate growth and development at the local level, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to unveil a new program which seeks to recognize good governance performance and encourage the alignment of local development initiatives with the development thrusts of the Aquino administration. Dubbed the Performance Challenge Fund or PCF, the program aims to stimulate local government units (LGUs) to put premium on performance in order to avail themselves of the financial package they could use to jumpstart and sustain local economic development initiatives for the reduction or eradication of poverty…

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) proposes the pooling of the national calamity fund with the local calamity fund of local government units (LGUs) to ensure that resources would be readily available for emergency response as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction in the event of a disaster. DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo said the proposed project dubbed as “Paluwagan para sa Paghahanda sa Kalamidad” is similar to the concept of saving for a “paluwagan,” an agreement in which members pool money at a scheduled time and take turns in receiving the pooled amount. “This concept of disaster risk pooling has…

The countdown to two decades of local autonomy in the country has begun as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with the support of the different local government leagues and other stakeholders has launched a year-long series of activities to celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Local Government Code. The Local Government Code, which was enacted into law in 1991, set into motion the decentralization of power and authority to local governments and gave them more freedom to manage their own localities. DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said this year’s celebration entitled, “Celebrating 20 Years of Local…

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) through the Philippine National Police has taken concrete steps to help solve the killings of Korean nationals, including a religious Korean leader two months ago, and other related security concerns. DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said Thursday that he has submitted to President Benigno S. Aquino III a report coursed through him by PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo on the decisive actions taken by the DILG-PNP to address the security concerns raised by Korean Ambassador Hye Min Lee regarding the safety of Korean nationals in the country, particularly the killing…

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today said that Philippine National Police provincial and field offices all over the country will now have more funds to support their operational expenses as the PNP already has started to allocate funds to local police stations based on a “15:85” fund distribution scheme. Robredo said the 15:85 distribution ratio refers to the allocation of 15% of net distributable funds for the Police Regional Offices (PROs) and 85% to field units or to the Police Provincial Offices (PPOs) and police stations. Under this modified fund scheme, the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses…

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today disclosed that more than 4,000 incumbent barangay captains or punong barangays in the country are serving their third consecutive term, thus disqualified to run for the same position in the coming October 25 synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. Robredo said the Department will post on its website as well as the websites of DILG regional offices the list of incumbent punong barangays who are already on their third or even fourth consecutive term and are ineligible to run for the same post this elections.  The term of office of…

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo  led contingents from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and DILG-National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) and Central Office in an anti-dengue clean-up activity in Barangay Culiat in Quezon City on Friday.  Health Secretary Enrique Ona and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista joined Secretary Robredo. The activity was the second installment of dengue clean-up day, which was also carried out in local government units all over the country following a directive from Robredo urging local chief executives to implement clean-up activities in their respective localities. Records from the Department of Health show…

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said today (Monday) that the Department would introduce governance reforms in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which he described as the  “weakest linkâ€Ã‚  of the country.   Robredo said the support of local government officials and other concerned sectors in the region would be tapped in implementing meaningful reforms that would improve socio-economic conditions.   "ARMM seems like the weakest link in the Philippines, as there are problems in criminality and terrorism. It is yet to be developed. It is yet to reach its full potential," he said.   He said…