HEARING OF THE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Joint with Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation; Government Corporations and Public Enterprises; Health and Demography; Ways and Means; and Finance
This representation warmly welcomes our esteemed resource persons, guests and fellow public servants to the public hearing of the Committee on Local Government.
As a former local chief executive myself, a three-term Mayor of the great and historic city of San Juan, I am excited to revisit my roots and reconnect with our distinguished mayors and barangay captains, as I take the helm of this important Senate Committee. I know too well that while the local government is undoubtedly smaller in scale and jurisdiction compared to a national post, its concerns are much urgent and its impact is directly felt by the constituents.
It is through the productive cooperation and reliable partnerships with the barangay officials, well-meaning citizens and community stakeholders that we are able to accomplish much during my term, built and sustained the gains achieved by my father during his tenure, and made San Juan one of the most progressive and most peaceful municipalities in the country.
We hope that this Committee will become a platform for effective dialogue and bridge between the national and the local, as well as a stage for productive collaboration toward the passage of laws that will further empower local governments as drivers of national progress and inclusive development.
Your Committee is in receipt of three priority bills identified by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council or the LEDAC, namely the Reprogramming of the Seal of Good Local Governance, the Amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991, and the Magna Carta for Barangays which is the subject of the deliberations in our public hearing.
Several versions of the Magna Carta were referred to the Committee which propose the following:
- 1. Better set of benefits and compensation and the regularization of the Punong Barangay, Sangguniang Barangay members, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairperson, as well as the barangay secretary and treasurer;
- 2. Guaranteed basic services – potable water, public transportation, primary education, health center – at the barangay level;
- 3. Automatic release of share from the national taxes and equitable share from the proceeds of utilization and development of natural wealth; and
- 4. Mandatory capacity building and trainings for barangay officials and personnel.
Sa pamamagitan ng mga panukalang batas na ito, ipinapakita natin ang pagkilala at pagpupugay sa papel at serbisyo ng ating mga barangay officials na siyang pangunahing takbuhan ng mga Pilipino sa oras ng pangangailangan, at mahalagang katuwang ng pambansang pamahalaan upang masigurong ang mga programa ay naipapaabot sa bawat mamamayan.
We look forward to receiving your valuable comments and inputs on the measures at hand.
Before diving into the aforementioned bills, we shall begin with the presentation and short briefing from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to discuss their legislative agenda and priority measures for the 20th Congress.