“Through People’s CALL, we aim to proactively support the national government’s call for good governance as well as promote participative governance and citizen empowerment. We believe that through active participation in legislation, citizens can shape the future of their community,” said Pandi Vice Mayor Dr. Maria Rachel Santos-Oca.
According to Dr. Santos-Oca, People’s CALL aims to establish an avenue for direct collaboration between municipal legislators and their constituents. “Actively consulting our constituents will help enhance the legislative and oversight performance of the Sangguniang Bayan. This is the true essence of sanggunian,” she explained. The Sangguniang Bayan (SB) is the legislature of municipal governments in the Philippines. The Vice Mayor serves as the presiding officer of the SB, whose members consist of elected town councilors and two ex officio members: the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). The SB passes ordinances and resolutions for the effective administration of the municipality.
People’s CALL also aims to strengthen public-private sector partnership in Pandi, Dr. Santos-Oca said. “Through People’s CALL, the Pandi local government will benefit in maximizing community resources in aid of legislation by seeking the voluntary assistance of our constituents in the form of their professional, experiential and technical expertise.”
To ensure fair and equitable representation, the Pandi Legislative Department Head invited as People’s CALL members reputable Pandi residents who are affiliated with all political parties, from pro-administration to opposition groups. “We want to hear and discuss our constituents’ views and concerns, regardless of their political affiliation. While People’s CALL encourages enlightened dissent and debate, its members are united by the common goal of achieving what is good for the municipality and its residents,” stressed Dr. Santos-Oca.
People’s CALL is composed of Pandi residents involved in the following sectors: agriculture, business, cooperatives, education (formal and informal), environment, health care, information technology (IT), legal, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), public transport (Jeepney and Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association), senior citizens, women, and youth. Other invited council members include former SB members, current elected and appointed barangay offficials. A representative from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is invited to observe meetings of the People's CALL. As the Local Vice Chief Executive and Head of the Legislative Department of the LGU, Dr. Santos-Oca will chair People’sCALL.
People’s CALL members will meet at least once a month to discuss and propose recommendations that may help the SB draft and pass ordinances and resolutions that are appropriate, timely, effective and beneficial to the community. To ensure transparency and promote participative governance, People’s CALL members will also communicate to their constituents in the sector they represent truthful information pertaining to local legislation as well as gather constituent feedback.“The ultimate goal of People’s Call is to ensure constant consultation with our constituents so that local legislators can pass quality legislation that is truly responsive to the needs of the people of Pandi,” said Dr. Santos-Oca.
The oath taking ceremony will be held at the Inang Pilipina Shrine in Pandi’s historic barrio, Real de Cacarong wherein an estimated 6,000 Katipuneros from various Bulacan towns built a fort to establish the Cacarong Republic, the first organized revolutionary government against Spanish rule that antedated the Malolos and Biak-na-Bato Republics. One of the Katipuneros stationed at that time in Real de Cacarong was a young lieutenant named Gregorio del Pilar.
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