Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte has asked Philippine envoys to study what he described as the well-run state programs in their respective host-countries, which could serve as models for priority initiatives of the Marcos administration.
Villafuerte, majority leader of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) in the House of Representatives, bared Friday, Nov. 4, specifically gave this directive to the country’s appointed ambassadors to the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Kingdom of Belgium.
He also tasked the ambassadors to subsequently inform Malacañang and the Congress on how the government could possibly replicate the success of these overseas endeavors.
During an earlier committee hearing, Villafuerte told Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Joseph Gerard Bacani Angeles to study the zero-hunger program that was launched in that South American country in 2003.
The House leader said he wants to know what features this Brazilian initiative could likely be adopted in the implementation of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s food security and poverty reduction agenda in the Philippines.
Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP) pointed out that the eradication of hunger is on top of the Chief Executive's concerns.
As for Belgium, the Bicolano asked Ambassador Jaime Victor Badillo Ledda to familiarize himself with the system of e-governance in that West European country, and find out what features might be carried out locally, given that lawmakers, including him, are pushing the E-Government Bill, in support of the President’s priority program on digital transformation.
The E-Government measure is one of the 30 priority bills listed by Malacañang and Congress as their common legislative agenda during the initial meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) last Oct. 10 under the Marcos administration.
Villafuerte put forward to Ledda the idea of “finding out the best government practices in a country where you're positioned".
"I’ve been pushing for e-governance, my E-Government Act, since the 17th Congress. Why? Because, I think—we’re a country with 7,100 islands—and we can empower our people by having their government close to them," he said.