Pursuant to its mandate and steadfast commitment to provide effective technical assistance to local government units (LGUs), the DILG-NCR through the Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) facilitated a consultative meeting on the Newly Elected Officials (NEO) Program of the National Capital Region with representatives of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines. 

Titled Nurturing Effective Officials for National Capital Region (NEO-NCR), the program aims to assist newly-elected officials of NCR – whether newly-minted, re-elected for a successive term, or re-elected after a term interval – in navigating the complexities of urban local governance, and to further leadership and management skills in service of their constituencies.

An overview of the NEO-NCR proposed topics and methodologies was presented by LGCDD Assistant Division Chief Maria Jasmin D. Diaz and Local Government Operations Officer III Mary Criselle B. Mejillano of the Capacity Development and Technical Assistance Section (CDTAS). Planned activities include vice-mayors and councilors meetings with newly-elected officials to tackle pressing urban governance challenges of the region, promote interjurisdictional collaboration, and devise innovative and data-driven solutions. Capacity development activities on local development planning are also planned for DILG-NCR technical personnel to ensure that they are well-equipped in providing effective technical assistance to newly-elected officials.

Through the active participation of the representatives of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines, valuable insights and suggestions were gathered which will aid in the refinement of the NEO-NCR program’s design and implementation strategies. Another iteration of the consultative meeting is set with representatives from the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and the Metro Manila Councillors League (MMCL) to ensure all insights are integrated.

The NEO program initiated by the Local Government Academy (LGA) is slated for implementation by July to August 2025 upon assumption to duty of newly-elected officials. 

This engagement is a testament to the commitment of DILG-NCR in ensuring that its capacity development interventions are apt and responsive to the needs of LGU functionaries, thus leading to enhanced governance capacities and optimal public service delivery.