CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—In a bid to achieve a clean, honest and good governance, Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda expressed her all out support to Secretary Mar Roxas and to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) at the launching of “Ugnayan ng Barangay At Simbahan” (UBAS) project held at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, yesterday.
The lady governor on her part said that the political leaders could not perform their duties alone especially on the problems of drugs, out-of-school-youth, waste management, environment, climate change and the like, without the help of the religious organizations.
“Bilang isang elected official, halos 30 years na po ako sa pulitika, sa assessment ko parang hindi po natin kaya lalo na ng mga barangay officials kung wala pong support ang ating mga religious organizations”, the governor said.
Attended by the representatives/members of Interfaith communities from Assembles of God, Jesus Is Lord, United Methodist Church, Iglesia ni Kristo, Church of God Int’l., Grace United Baptist Church, Grace Better Future Church Inc., Samahan ng Bible Baptist Temple, Archdiocese of Zambales, Bataan and San Fernando, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Rev. Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr., Vicar Gen. Archdiocese of Novaliches, mayors, board members, barangay officials, presidents of the league of barangays, DILG regional and provincial directors, BFP, PNP, UBAS Executive Director Atty. Mariness L. Ledesma, CPA, OIC Director of National Barangay Operations Office, Leocadio T. Tovella, CESO IV, media organizations, among others.
The Ugnayan ng Barangay At Simbahan (UBAS) program has shown a sturdy correlation of the church and the barangay that wage a massive significant participation of the community in terms of governance.
Incorporated in the program is the monitoring of project implementation that would benefit the residents and the community as a whole.
UBAS shall compose of representatives from the barangay, religious group/church and the DILG which aims to promote a clean, honest and upright government.
The said project started in the year 2011 when Bishop Antonio Tobias of the Archdiocese of Novaliches accepted the request of the late Secretary Jesse Robredo (former DILG secretary). The request was to encourage the church to participate in the advocacy to good governance in the local government.
Presently, Secretary Mar Roxas adhered to the advocacy and has launched UBAS in Cagayan de Oro and its second launching which was done in Pampanga yesterday.
For the UBAS to be successful it shall consist of Convenor’s group- representatives from church/religious organizations; Technical Working Group which are counterparts of DILG’s representatives, church/religious organizations and league of barangay in the Convenors group; Secretariat- headed by the DILG and the active participation of the Barangay Action Team which is the most significant part of the association because it will serve as the fundamental implementing arm of the project. The composition of the Convenors group, Technical Working Group and Secretariat must be in national, provincial, city and municipal level.
Meanwhile, DILG aims to strengthen the participation and coordination with the church, barangay and the DILG to attain an empowered community.
By Maribel U. Singca
