MANILA, Philippines – Barangays have been ordered to record and publish all finances and equipment ahead of their elections in May.

“All Punong Barangays (Barangay chiefs) and concerned barangay officials are required to prepare necessary documenters, to include [an] inventory of all barangay financial records, reports, finances and properties,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said in an order signed on February 1, Thursday.

The inventory covers equipment and finances “from the start of [present officials’] terms of office up to the present.”

The barangay elections were reset from October 23, 2017, to May 14, 2018. The polls would pave the way for the transition in leadership of over 42,000 barangays nationwide.

After the elections, all barangay properties are turned over to the new officials. The order was made to ensure that the barangay keeps everything it owns after the transition. (READ: IN NUMBERS: Impact of corruption on the Philippines)

How will it work?

The inventory would be headed by the barangay chief through a barangay inventory team (BIT) that should be put together before February 24.

The BIT would include the barangay secretary, treasurer, a bookkeeper or a municipal/city representative, and at least two civil society group representatives “preferably from faith-based organization[s].”

The barangay captain would convene the BIT and conduct an “initial inventory” not later than March 9, and a “final inventory” not later than May 30, each with its own list.

The forms would be sent to the municipal/city accountant, the local Commission on Audit, and local DILG offices.

The final listing, Año ordered, “shall always be made available to the public” by being posted in 3 public places in the barangay and in the barangay’s official website. (READ: PH ranks first in Asia for budget transparency)

When the elections are over, the barangay officials would need to organize a turnover ceremony with the new officials not later than June 30.

Mayor has responsibility too

City and municipal mayors, and local DILG offices were ordered to see to it that all barangays under their area of responsibility would adhere to the memorandum through a City/Municipal Audit and Transition Team (C/MATT) that should be created not later than February 28.

The C/MATT would be chaired by the city/municipal accountant, the local DILG director, local barangay league president, staffs from the local accounting office, and representatives from faith-based groups.

The C/MATT would crosscheck all the initial and final inventories of all barangays under them, then would post all the final lists on the official city/municipal website.

Failure to comply with the order would be grounds for criminal charges,  Año said in his order. – Rappler.com