By Judy Mae Magdato-Sajo
The Department of the Interior and Local Government-Antique reminded barangay officials to conduct their first semester Barangay Assembly Day this year in any Saturday or Sunday of March.
“I am encouraging all the 590 barangays of Antique to conduct their respective barangay assembly day within Saturdays or Sundays of March 2021, with observance of IATF-EID guidelines on mass gatherings and local health protocols,” DILG Antique Provincial Director Cherryl P. Tacda said.
Tacda added that the barangays may utilize social media platforms as far as practicable to maximize the reach of information dissemination to their constituents.
As the country continues to face threats and challenges from COVID-19 and the reported new COVID variant, public and mass gatherings or similar events may still be prohibited in some areas in the country.
In this light, the face-to-face conduct of Barangay Assembly for the first semester of 2021 may only be conducted in barangays without prevailing COVID issues taking into consideration the IATF-MEID policies and guidelines pertaining to mass gatherings or similar activities and local laws or ordinances in line with the implementation of quarantine protocols.
DILG Memorandum Circular 2021-025 pinpointed the pressing issues such as the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), fortifying the capacities of the Barangay Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs), First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, functionality of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC) and Barangay Peace and Order Committee (BPOC), African Swine Fever (ASF), and other national directives that should be included in the agenda to be tackled during the assembly.
This year’s theme is “BarangaYYan: Barangay at Mamamayan, Sama-sama at Mag-kaisa Upang Labanan ang Pandemya Tungo sa isang Ligtas, Maayos at Maunlad na Pamayanan”.
“Let us make use of the opportunity to inform our constituents about the plans and programs of the barangay, financial transactions, and national directives,” Tacda added.
The conduct of Barangay Assembly Day on any Saturday and Sunday of March for the first semester, and October for the second semester, is stipulated under Section 397 of the Local Government Code of 1991 and Proclamation No. 599 series of 2018.
Barangay officials who fail to conduct barangay assembly days can be sued administratively by the residents, concerned citizens, and/or government and non-government entities. Likewise, a Show Cause Order shall be issued by DILG to all concerned Punong Barangay who failed to conduct the barangay assembly.
