Government projects and equipment that were privately funded or donated are also covered by the government’s anti-“epal” drive, a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official in Negros Oriental said on Thursday, Feb. 19.
DILG – Negros Oriental Director Farah Gentuya said that this is the position of DILG – Negros Island Region (NIR), in line with DILG Memorandum Circular 2026-006, issued on Jan. 29, which prohibits incumbent government officials from putting their names, faces, logos, or initials on government-funded projects and equipment from the provincial to the barangay levels.
“The contention of the NIR legal office is that if a project is privately funded but is donated to the government, then it becomes the property of government,” Gentuya said.
He added that the identities and images of the donors or local officials on project posters, billboards, and similar materials should be removed.
Initial monitoring by DILG – Negros Oriental showed there have been efforts by the local government units (LGUs) to comply with the DILG memorandum circular. They were given two months to comply with the memorandum circular.
Still, DILG – Negros Oriental said it continues to receive reports and complaints of non-compliance, though these are already being addressed and reported to the higher office.
Joshua Quijote, paralegal officer of DILG – Negros Oriental, said they have already submitted lists of those who have allegedly violated the department circular to determine which LGUs or politicians will be issued a show-cause order for the violation.
Among the bases used for the DILG circular were the 1987 Constitution, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Commission on Audit rules that classify such personalized displays as unnecessary expenses, and the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which explicitly prohibits attaching officials’ names and images to government-funded projects.*
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