Mayor Joy Belmonte led the oath-taking of the interim executive committee officers of the People’s Council of Quezon City.
“Ang People’s Council ang magsisilbing mata, tenga, at boses ng mga mamamayan sa ating pamahalaang lungsod. Malaki ang maitutulong ng kanilang kasanayan sa pagbuo ng mga programang dapat at nararapat para sa mga residente (The People’s Council will serve as the eyes, ears, and voice of the people in our city government. Their skills will go a long way in developing the right and appropriate programs for residents),” Belmonte said.
The People’s Council of Quezon City (PCQC), which serves as the "umbrella arm" of 2,232 city-accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSO), will work with the local government to ensure that every program or policy is indeed responsive to the needs of the QCitizens.
Belmonte signed the implementing rules and regulations of City Ordinance SP-1942, S-2009 or the Participation, Accountability, and Transparency (PAT) Ordinance that strengthens and institutionalizes the system of the partnership between the local government and its constituents.
"Sa loob ng 13 taon, hindi naisakatuparan ang batas na ito na sana nagpatatag na ng pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan at mamamayan. Kasi kapag meron nang PCQC, mas mabusisi ang lahat ng proseso, mula sa pagpaplano, sa pagba-budget, hanggang sa pagsasakatuparan ng programa (For 13 years, this law, which would have established cooperation between the government and the people, has not been implemented. Because when there is a PCQC, all the processes, from planning, to budgeting, to the implementation of the program, will be more scrutinized),” Belmonte said.
“Ang tunay na malinis at tapat na pamahalaan ay kapag kasangga ang mga mamamayan sa pamamahala. Ngayong mayroon nang PCQC na makakatuwang ng pamahalaang lungsod, makaaasa ang mga QCitizen na ang bawat piso at sentimong nanggagaling sa kanilang buwis ay mapupunta sa mga programang makabuluhan at makatutulong para maitaas ang antas ng pamumuhay ng bawat residente (True clean and honest government is when the people are involved in governing. Now that there is a PCQC that can work with the city government, QCitizens can hope that every peso and penny that comes from their taxes will go to meaningful programs that will help raise the standard of living of every resident),” Mayor Belmonte added.
The PCQC can sit in the city’s local special bodies (task force, committees, etc.) through their elected representative whose expertise is in line with the bodies’ target sector. They will participate in all the committee’s deliberation, conceptualization, and evaluation of projects.
PCQC members include representatives from sectors of Business, Professional, Women, HomeOwners Associations, Persons-with-Disabilities, Urban Poor, Solo Parents, LGBTQIA, Cooperatives, Charitable/Socio-Civic, Social Justice/Peace and Order, Health and Sanitation, Academe/Education, Youth, Labor/Workers, Transportation, Senior Citizens, Socio-Cultural, Environmental/Urban Protection/Solid Waste, Livelihood/Vendors, Religious. The city also plans to add Muslim or Bangsamoro, Sports, and Media in the represented sectors