EO on Yule aid program signed
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order enjoining all Sangguniang Barangays to establish a Yuletide Social Assistance Program for all barangays and functionaries for fiscal year 2019.
Under Executive Order 99 signed by the President on Friday, 6 December, all Sangguniang Barangays are enjoined to enact their respective ordinances for the purpose of establishing a Yuletide Social Assistance Program for FY 2019 for the economic empowerment of barangay officials and functionaries, including but not limited to the punong barangay, barangay secretary, barangay treasurer, barangay tanods, members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, and other workers/personnel appointed, designated, or engaged by the barangay.
The Yuletide Social Assistance Program of the barangays shall be charged against their respective additional funds, subject to Sections 321and 323 of the Local Government Code, as well as existing budgeting, accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall jointly issue the appropriate guidelines to effectively carry out and implement this Order. The Guidelines shall include, among others, the components of the Yuletide Social Assistance Program, and the specific criteria and parameters for the determination of the barangay officials and functionaries qualified thereunder.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go lauded the EO, saying he and the President have been looking for ways tofurhter promote the welfare of barangay officials on top of the P3,000 Christmas assistance the Office of the President is already giving them.
Specifically, Sangguniang Barangays will be enacting their respective ordinances creating the Yuletide Social Assistance Program for the current year.
Officials set to benefit from the assistance program are the “punong barangay, barangay secretary, barangay treasurer, tanods, members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, and other workers/ personnel appointed, designated or engaged by the barangay.”
The Yuletide Social Assistance Program of the barangays shall be charged against their respective additional funds.