The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has taken initial steps in making the country's most disaster-prone local government units resilient to the harsh effects of climate change by forging a memorandum of understanding with seven provinces, two cities and 19 municipalities for the implementation of a project on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. Dubbed as "Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM)/ Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) to Local Government Systems and Processes," the project aims to improve knowledge and awareness on the nature and extent of risks faced by the pilot LGUs, and to capacitate them…

Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said today that his department is implementing a comprehesive three-point agenda to stamp out the illegal numbers game of "jueteng" in the country. Robredo cited the department's anti-jueteng strategies as better law enforcement, strengthening of the Small Town Lottery (STL) as alternative to jueteng, and adoption of measures to keep people away from the culture of gambling. He explained that the first strategy pertains to the intensified police operations against jueteng activities, the arrest of suspected gambling personnel, confiscation of bets and gambling paraphernalia, and filing of…

 Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo on Monday clarified that the memorandum dated August 9, 2010 was issued only to set the procedures to be followed in the issuance of a detail or extension of detail service of police personnel.   It came after three detail orders signed by DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno had been returned to the Office of the Secretary by the PNP’s Directorate for Personnel Records and Management because of lack of attached endorsements from the Secretary. Robredo said that the memorandum was a reiteration of Department Circular 2006-08 which states that:   "Extension or renewal…

In support for the priority programs of the Aquino administration on transparency, accountability, good governance, peace and order and public safety,   the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will present today its P86.9 billion proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 before the House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee.      Secretary Jesse M. Robredo will lead officials of the DILG including its attached agencies, the National Police Commission (Napolcom), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) and the Local Government Academy (LGA), in defending the…

To bring the Department closer to the people, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today leads officials of the Department in launching its Public Assistance  Center (PAC). The center, located at the ground floor of the DILG central office in Quezon City, will receive and quickly respond to and act on requests for assistance as well as  complaints that are  brought to the attention of the Department by the public. "We would like the ordinary Filipinos to feel the Department's presence and ensure them that we are a listening and working DILG," he said. Robredo said a similar…

As part of the Department's efforts to raise the level of transparency and accountability in local government units, Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today  issued guidelines requiring provinces, cities and municipalities of the country to publicly  disclose their financial transactions by posting them in conspicuous places within their localities, or published in newspapers of general circulation and in their websites. "This is part of our effort to aggressively scale up interventions to elevate the practice of good governance that values transparency, accountability, participation and performance," said Robredo during the signing of…

Following the ten-hour hostage crisis at the Quirino Grandstand on Monday, a Joint DILG-DOJ task force has been organized to investigate the gruesome incident that led to the killing of at least seven Hong Kong (Chinese) nationals and the former police officer who held them hostage inside a tourist bus.   Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the joint operative was ordered to establish the series of events during the incident and to determine if there were persons who could be held accountable.   "We want to know what really happened,…

With the reported rise in dengue fever cases in the country, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse M. Robredo on Wednesday called on all local chief executives to support the Department of Health (DOH) in its effort to contain the spread of the disease. Robredo said there was a need for coordinated efforts among all concerned national government agencies and local government units to lessen the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease.   The National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health has reported a total of 40,648 dengue cases in different sentinel hospitals nationwide from January…

August 18, 2010.        Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday underscored the need to introduce reform measures to the existing Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) system amid the forthcoming synchronized barangay and SK elections scheduled October 25 this year. This came after Robredo sat down with officials of the SK Reform Coalition, who presented their proposed SK reforms.   SK Reform Coalition convenor Marlon Cornelio, its spokesperson John Tobit Cruz, and Student Council Alliance of the Philippines national executive board member Liza Dizon initiated the meeting. "We have agreed on the idea to…

Following President Noynoy Aquino's directive not to advertise his name or picture in government programs and projects, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has prohibited the use of names and images of officials in billboards and signages of DILG programs and projects, including those on fire trucks, ambulance vans and police vehicles .   DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said all heads of DILG operating units, including DILG-attached agencies should refrain from putting up billboards, signages and other similar information materials bearing the names and images of personalities, including him and the President, on DILG projects.  …