New officials in 42,000 barangays to undergo mandatory training

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is mandating all barangay captains and newly elected officials to undergo continuing training to capacitate them as they start a new term.

Captains and other officials from around 42,000 barangays nationwide will be required to attend the Grassroots Renewal and Empowerment for Accountable and Transparent (GREAT) Barangay program, which will equip them to handle various challenges that they may encounter while performing their roles. 

The two-day program provides a basic orientation course that will include fundamentals of barangay governance particularly on the relevant provisions of the Local Government Code, development planning, budget and finance, participation, and public ethics and accountability.

Technical assistance on the specialized courses on barangay governance, enriching citizen participation, and performance management will also be provided.

The GREAT Barangay program will run until 2025 for the elected officials.

The DILG will employ a multi-stakeholder approach through its Local Governance Resource Centers in regional and sub-regional levels to ensure the participation of all barangay leaders in the country.