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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House okays bill creating People's Council in LGUs

House okays bill creating People's Council in LGUs

Published Jan 26, 2021 06:04 pm

The House of Representatives has approved on final reading a bill proposing to create a People’s Council in all local government units to ensure wider involvement of civil society organizations in local governance.

MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO

With 217 affirmative and 0 negative votes, the Lower House passed House  Bill 7950 or the People Empowerment Act on third and final reading. The 6-man Makabayan bloc abstained.

Sponsored on the floor by Rep. Florida Robes (NUP, San Jose del Monte City), HB 7960 also seeks to create a working environment where people can participate in police and decision-making processes in the country.

Robes, chairperson of the House Committee on People’s Participation, said the measure provides a mechanism by which citizens’ views and opinions in different areas of goverrnance may be heard and considered.

Aside  Robes, the bill is co-authored by Reps.  Gabriel Bordado (LP, Camarines Sur); Francis Gerald Abaya (NUP, Cavite); Rosanna Vergara (PDP-Laban, Nueva Ecija); and Macnell Lusotan (Ang Marino) and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

Under the bill, a People’s Council shall be created in every local government unit. Its members shall be composed of civil society organizations (CSOs) that will be accredited by the local legislative council or sangguniang bayan.

It enumerates the rights and privileges of the accredited CSO that includes entering into joint ventures and other cooperative undertakings for the delivery of certain basic services and livelihood projects.

The CSO may also receive assistance from the LGU for economic, environmental and cultural programs within the territorial jurisdiction of the LGU.

The bills also creates a Provincial People’s Council (PPC) in every province which shall be composed of representatives from the municipality and city People’s Council within the province’s jurisdiction.

Members of the city and municipal council shall elect among themselves a representative to the PPC who shall sit as member of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan and shall exercise the duties and powers of a Provincial Board member.

They, however, will not receive compensation and prohibited from participating in partisan politics.

The LGU is nevertheless mandated to provide them with necessary office spaces, facilities and equipment.

Pursuant to the Constitution, the CSOs are recognized as independent and autonomous self-help organizations, encouraged to organize into formal cooperatives, interest groups, non-governmental organizations, among others to pursue their legitimate purposes and objectives.

The bill also creates an endowment fund from the existing empowerment fund of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that will be used for the capacity building of CSOs.

The LGU shall also provide for the maintenance and operational funding for the People’s Council.

The bill also provides for a sunset review every five years to review and recommend amendments after evaluating the problems and issues in its implementation.

Robes expressed gratitude to the passage of the bill in the lower saying “it will make civil society organizations more involved in local governance and create stronger partnership between the government and the private sector. 

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