Peace - order body rated 100% functional

By Gladys Serafica

DARAGA, Albay --- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 5 (Bicol) has declared the peace and order councils (POC) of Albay province 100 percent functional, with two cities and four towns obtaining a perfect audit rating.

Of the 18 local government units (LGU) in Albay, the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco, as well as the towns of Daraga, Polangui, Malilipot, and Sto. Domingo, obtained a perfect score in the POC evaluation.

Albay obtained a rating of 95.54 percent, behind Naga City and Sorsogon province, which got the highest rating of 96.71 percent.

Meanwhile, Catanduanes obtained a rating of 93.04 percent; Camarines Sur, 92.67 percent; Camarines Norte, 89.25 percent; and Masbate, 84.59 percent.

In an interview on Thursday, Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo said it was the first time that the town garnered a perfect score in the yearly POC assessment.

“This recognition further validates the effectiveness and efficiency of our municipal peace and order council in our desire to ensure the security and safety of our people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tabaco Mayor Krisel Lagman, in a social media post on Tuesday, thanked DILG for the recognition, and hailed Albay for the feat.

“We are happy to note that the communities you serve are looked after by functional institutions entrusted with the security and safety of their people,” the DILG posted on Tuesday.

The evaluation assesses the performance, functionality, and compliance of local POCs with existing laws and policies. It also identifies the innovations, interventions, and improvement strategies initiated by the POCs and their secretariats as they fulfill their mandate of maintaining peace and order. (PNA)