Thelma Vecina, assistant director of the Local Government Academy (LGA), the training arm of DILG, disclosed that the training dubbed "Newly-Elected Officials (NEO)" program is intended for the said officials to prepare their roadmap for the first 100 days in office in accordance with the tasks and responsibilities provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991 and other laws concerning local governance.
"This will strengthen the individual capacities of local governments and is aligned with the thrust of local and national governance," she said.
She also added that the participants will be oriented on resource management and enhance specific capabilities such as resource or community mobilization.
"We aim to develop specific capacities of each local government unit that is focused to the local needs," Vecina said.
Quirino Libunao, Region 11 office of DILG director, is also optimistic that the training will guide local officials in handling their government units.
"The first 100 days are critical so we hope that the officials take the concrete steps in creating their executive and legislative agenda," he said.
He also said that at the end of the training, each official will have to prepare their plans for their local government unit (LGU) and commit to implement it.
The first day of the training involved municipal mayors from Regions 11, 12, and 13, while municipal mayors from Regions 9 and 10 will be trained on Thursday and Friday.
Opol (Misamis Oriental) Mayor Dixon Yasay, who shared his experience with his local government unit that bagged the 2004 Gawad Galing Pook Award and 2003 Local Government Leadership Award, believed that the key to achieving a good local governance is through collective leadership.
"The mayor should not be the only solution to everything. The community must be involved especially the marginalized. We must see to it that power of the mayor is shared by everybody," he said.
The NEO program is divided into four components throughout the three-year term of the local officials.
The first component, which is ensuring a smooth transition, was already implemented at the second half of May.
The program is currently on its second component which is laying the foundation that will run from June to August this year.
The third component which is building alliances will be implemented from September to October of this year, while the fourth component which is sharpening the saw will be done by the end of the year until 2013.
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