DILG-3 Regional Director Florida M. Dijan together with Assistant Regional Director Abraham A. Pascua and other Regional Office personnel attended Barangay Assembly Day of San Pascual, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija on October 14, 2012.  San Pascual is Region 3’s showcase barangay this semester. 

   President Benigno S. Aquino III has issued Proclamation No. 260 dated September 30, 2011, declaring the last Saturday of March and the second Sunday of October 2011, and every year thereafter as Barangay Assembly Days. 
   

   Punong Barangay Juanito Sana of San Pascual delivered his State of Barangay Address (SOBA) highlighting the different accomplishments of the barangay in the areas of Governance, Transparency, Participation, Administration, Customer Service, Human Resource Management and Development and Social Services.  

    Among his significant accomplishments are strict implementation of Zero Waste, Zero Kalat, ban in cutting trees, no to noise pollution, massive information education campaign on illegal drugs, VAWC implementation, approval and posting of annual budget, maintenance of barangay health and nutrition center facilities, identification of evacuation centers during calamities and giving of libreng gamot.

   These were presented after DILG R-3 Monitoring and Evaluation Division Chief Lerrie Hernandez gave an overview of the conduct of barangay assembly and its relevance. 

   Regional Director Florida Dijan, on the other hand congratulated the Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay and other local officials for coming up with such important activity.  She likewise expressed appreciation to the representatives of different National Government Agencies for their participation. 

   Director Dijan read the message of DILG Secretary Mar Roxas to the people of San Pascual and concluded by saying “Kayo pong mga mamamayan ng Barangay San Pascual ay kailangang makiisa sa mga inyong mga opisyales tungo sa mas ikauunlad ng inyong barangay”.

   Sto. Domingo Mayor Leonido De Guzman, Jr., Vice Mayor Policarpio Catacutan, Jr. as well as other local officials and heads of NGAs gave their responses following the SOBA of PB Sana. 

   Towards the end of the activity, DILG ARD Abraham Pascua led the barangay officials in reciting the Panunumpa para sa Mabuting Pamamahala tungo sa Matuwid na Landas. 

   The team also visited barangays San Gavino, Bulo and Maluid in Victoria, Tarlac.  RD Dijan in her brief message in San Gavino said that barangay governance is like cooking rice cake or bibingka in Filipino which involves placing burning coals on top and under it.  |”Ang apoy sa itaas ng bibingka ay ang mga opisyales ng barangay samantalang ang apoy sa ilalim nito ay ang kanyang mga mamamayan.  Ang mga opisyales at barangay ay kailangang magtulungan at magkaisa upang magkaroon ng isang mabuti at maayos na lokal na pamahalaan”, she further said.