LegisHear brings Congress closer to communities in Butuan City
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Aligned with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to bring services closer to the people, the House of Representatives reaches the communities in Butuan City through the LegisHear: Bawat Batas Mahalaga.
Held at Caraga State University in Butuan City from August 7 to 8, the legislative engagement is the first in Mindanao and the second nationwide, with the inaugural launch held on July 31 in Echague, Isabela.
Led by House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ G. Dy III, the LegisHear is an initiative that brings Congress directly to communities across the country, which aims to promote participatory lawmaking, on-the-ground public services, and oversight and policy evaluation.
In his video message, the House Speaker emphasized LegisHear’s objectives. “Layunin ng ‘Bagong Kongreso’ na isulong ang isang pamahalaang mas bukas, may integridad, at may malasakit, kung saan ang mga mamamayan ay katuwang sa paghubog ng mga polisiya at batas” (The objective of the ‘Bagong Kongreso’ is to push for a government that is transparent, with integrity, compassionate, and where citizens participate in the making of policies and laws.)
He said that the Congress will continue its rounds across the country to conduct community dialogues and listen to citizens’ experiences, challenges, and recommendations, which will serve as a foundation in lawmaking.
“Sa pamamagitan ng mas malawak na konsultasyon at pakikilahok ng publiko, inaasahang mas mapapalakas ang tiwala sa pamahalaan at maisusulong ang mga batas na magbibigay ng pangmatagalang benepisyo sa bansa,” he added.
(Through more enhanced consultation and public engagement, it is expected that trust in the government will strengthen, including support for laws that provide sustainable benefits to the country)
Meanwhile, during the LegisHear press conference facilitated by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga, Attorney Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, underscored the importance of the engagement as a vital component of democratic governance, providing a meaningful platform for citizens to directly share their views, concerns, and aspirations with lawmakers.
She also highlighted the focus group discussions (FGDs) as one of the highlights of the LegisHear event. “The FGD aims to provide a meaningful platform for participants to openly share their perspectives, insights, experiences, and concerns. Through this participatory approach, the government can gather valuable inputs and better understand the needs, challenges, and recommendations of the participants, ensuring that their voices are heard and considered in the discussions and outcomes of the event,” she told the media.
The LegisHear-Mindanao leg was spearheaded by Butuan City Congressional Representative Jose ‘Joboy’ S. Aquino II. He expressed pride that Butuan City was chosen to host the second LegisHear following its successful launch in Isabela. He said the selection demonstrates the House leadership’s commitment to bringing Congress closer to Filipinos across the country and ensuring that the voices of communities outside Metro Manila, particularly those in Mindanao, are heard in the lawmaking process.
The legislative engagement also showcased the essential public services from partner government agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Butuan City Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Pag-IBIG Fund, Land Transportation Office (LTO), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), PhilHealth, Philippine National Police (PNP), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Social Security System (SSS), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the PIA.
Rep. Aquino encouraged the Butuanons to take full advantage of the services offered by participating national government agencies to provide feedback regarding their services, adding that closer collaboration between communities and government would ensure that local concerns are reflected in the country’s legislative agenda. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)
