The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered the immediate removal of names, photographs, and identifying marks of public officials from all government-funded projects, signaling a hard stop to the use of taxpayer-funded programs for political branding.
In a directive issued to all DILG offices and local government units, the department said no public official’s name, photo, logo, initials, color motif, slogan, or identifying symbol should appear on project signages, markers, tarpaulins, or similar materials paid for with public funds.
“All provincial, city, municipal, and barangay officials, including DILG central, regional, and field offices and attached agencies, are required to ensure that no public official’s name, photo, logo, initials, color motif, slogan, or any identifying symbol appears on project signages, markers, tarpaulins, and similar materials funded by public money,” the department said in a statement.
“Government programs are not personal billboards. These are funded by taxpayers and must reflect public service, not political credit-grabbing,” it added.
The order is contained in DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2026-006 dated January 29 and made public on January 30. The memorandum cites Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that “public office is a public trust.”
The directive also invokes Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Commission on Audit Circular No. 2014-004 dated January 30, 2013, and Section 20 of Republic Act No. 12314, or the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
“All concerned officials and employees are directed to cause the immediate removal and correction of non-compliant materials,” the DILG said.
“Heads of offices are accountable for full and prompt compliance, as well as for cascading the directive to all units under their supervision,” it added.
The order applies nationwide and covers all levels of government, reinforcing long-standing rules against the personalization of public projects and placing responsibility squarely on agency and local government heads to enforce compliance.
