DILG suggests raising qualifications for barangay official positions

Qualifications for positions of barangay officials need to be elevated as the national government is giving more tasks to them, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Sunday.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya argued that barangay governments are already exercising the three main governmental functions: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Alongside the raising of qualifications, there should be professionalization in the barangay governance setup, Malaya added.

“Dapat pag-aralan din na i-professionalize na ang mga barangay. Hindi lamang sila honoraria [ang kanilang tinatanggap], sweldo na.” 

He also underscored the need for a “professional barangay” especially in times of disaster. “Kapag panahon ng disaster ay kailangan na kailangan ang professional na barangay.”

According to DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño, his office has received some 3,000 complaints about the distribution of the social amelioration program's cash aid amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The DILG puts the blame over delays in cash distribution on the alleged negligence of some barangay officials.

Thus, the April 30 original deadline for the payout process was extended to May 7, and again to May 10, Sunday.

As of Sunday morning, 85 percent of the target beneficiaries already received the emergency cash subsidy of up to 8,000.  —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News