A HOUSE leader on Wednesday called on the Congress to include the Department of the Interior and Local Government and civil society groups in Congress’ information dissemination drive to deepen the public’s understanding on federalism.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte suggested bringing the discussions to the grassroots, and that the DILG must include federalism in the topics to be tackled during the upcoming Barangay Assembly Day on March 25.
The holding of the barangay assembly day is mandatory under Section 397 of the Local Government Code, Villafurte said, citing a memorandum issued by DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno to barangay officials which states the barangay assembly day should be held every last Saturday of March and every second Sunday of October.
“Now that both the Executive and Legislative Departments are deadset on accelerating this year the federal switch via Cha-Cha [Charter Change], the Congress should link up with the NGOs and the DILG task force formed to educate the public about federalism and pull all the stops in informing people down to the remotest barangays about the cost-effectiveness and merits of Con-Ass…” Villafuerte, vice chairperson of the House local government committee, said.
Villafuerte said the DILG information drive must run parallel to the moves in both chambers of the Congress as announced by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, both strong supporters of Mr. Duterte’s push for the shift to a federal system.
Rep. Roger Mercado, who chairs the House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments, earlier announced that Congress would hold a series of information caravan in Dagupan, Bacolod, Davao and Tacloban cities.
Villafuerte said only a shift to the federal system would enable the government to attain President Duterte’s vision of sustained high and inclusive growth and transform the country into a high-middle income economy by 2022 and a high-income one by 2040.
He said the switch to a federal government was crucial in attracting a lot more private investments and accelerating growth in the countryside under the Duterte presidency which, in turn, would help realize the government’s goal of reducing the poverty incidence from 22 percent to 13-14 percent by 2022.