BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – A total of 120 out of the 180 city barangays have completed the inventory and turnover of barangay properties to the incoming barangay officials.
Oscar Lim, the director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Iloilo City, said they started the inventory of barangay properties as early as Oct. 17 and expect this to conclude on Nov. 16. He added that three barangays were inventoried per day.
Lim said majority of the 92 barangays with newly-elected barangay captains had finished the inventory including the three big barangays of Calumpang and San Juan in Molo district and Calaparan in Arevalo district.
On the part of 88 other barangays, the DILG sees no problem with the turnover of properties as their barangay captains were all reelected.
With regards to the missing properties, it should be specified and documented in papers to be signed by the incoming barangay officials.
Lim advised incoming barangay officials to locate the missing properties while those missing ones being lent to the barangay constituents should be discussed properly within the barangay council.
Meanwhile, properties that can no longer be used should be marked “unserviceable.”
The DILG said incoming barangay officials can file charges against outgoing officials once they are unable to properly turnover the barangay properties.
The city’s newly-elected barangay officials had their mass oath-taking ceremony at the Iloilo City Hall grounds on Monday, Nov. 6.
Mayor Jerry Treñas urged the grassroots leaders to set aside political differences for the greater good and pointed out the difficulty of managing barangays marred by factionalism.
He also assured the barangay officials of the city government’s support./PN
