Rama to defy DILG memo

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will continue to authorize City Hall officials and personnel to conduct trainings and seminars outside Cebu City if they believe it would help them be more effective in their duties and responsibilities.

Rama criticized Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo’s memorandum calling all local government units not to hold their seminars and trainings outside their territorial jurisdiction.

According to Rama, there is no waste of funds if, in conducting these seminars and trainings, the minds of the government officials and employees “will be enriched with knowledge and would be spiritually nourished.”

“Ang pinaka-importante kun makita nila nga giusik-usikan ang kwarta, sala kana sa mga mayor nga nagtugot nga adto sa layo mapahigayon ang seminar ug trainings, busa ayaw ninyo pilia pag-usab ang mayor ug giusik-usikan ba niya ang kwarta,” Rama said. (The important thing is, if the people would see that a particular training is only a waste of funds, then it’s the mayor’s fault for allowing that training. Then the people should not elect again the mayor who wasted public money.)

The mayor said the holding of out-of-town seminars and trainings were also done in the previous administrations.

During the press conference yesterday, Rama asked the reporters, “Kamo, ganahan ra ba mo nga naa ra mo sa inyong The FREEMAN? Naa ra mo sa CDN? Naa ra mos SunStar wala g’yud mo makaadto sa Philippine Star ug ubang national daily offices sa Manila? Angay’ng mangadto mo aron matandi ninyo.”

Robredo said he observed that some local officials are conducting their seminars and trainings in expensive tourist attractions in the country, raising suspicions that their activities were used as excuse to access public funds for their trips.

Robredo reminded local chief executives of audit procedures which calls them to avoid “irregular, unnecessary, excessive or extravagant expenditures” or uses of government funds and property.

He said Lakbay-Aral can still be held outside a local government’s territory as long as the places to be visited are included in the Galing Pook Foundation’s list for observing best practices in governance.

But Rama asked, “Nganong magbuot man sila? Asa na man diha ang freedom ug autonomy sa usa ka local government unit?” (FREEMAN)