More than four hundred seventy (470) participants, composed of City/Municipal Mayors and Vice-Mayors as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod/Bayan attended the "Basic Orientation: First Critical Days for the Reelected Local Officials cum regional Federalism Advocacy Forum" last November 29, 2016 at Quest Hotel, Clark Special Economic Zone.

This activity is in line with the Department's mandate to build strategic leaders who would lead their local governments in becoming competitive, efficient and responsive institutions for development and with the thrust of the current administration in transforming the government from decentralized structure into federal form which the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region III spearheaded.

The orientation is the 2nd part of the ladderized program to cater the capacity development requirements of the local officials from the start to end of their term in office. It aimed to discuss the issues and challenges of decentralization, the features of federalism as critical next step for decentralization and to recognize critical challenges affecting local governance and define strategic actions to address such.