The three-day capacity development seminar for the newly-elected barangay officials kicked off in the Province of Sorsogon on 1 August 2018 with Donsol as the pilot municipality. The Barangay Newly-Elected Officials (BNEO) for Grassroots Renewal And Empowerment For Accountable And Transparent (GREAT) Barangays Program is designed to prepare to the new sets of barangay officers to meet the challenges in the political and administrative leadership at the community and barangay level, and to prepare them to actively fulfill their roles and their relevance to development.

Provincial Director Julius Rodel L. Cal-Ortiz stressed that the BNEO is the perfect ground for local-officials to formulate their barangay development plans which will serve as the blue-print of their administration in addressing relevant issues in their local communities.

Cluster Head Rico E. Gaurino also emphasized that the BNEO Program does not only cover the “newly-elected officials” but also those who have been re-elected for either the second or third time. He also added that this program aims to promote accountability and transparency to these new barangay officials right at the start of their terms.

The DILG continues to step-up to the challenge of transforming barangays to become GREAT institutions for service delivery and community governance.