Local Government Code Day

THE 1987 Philippine Constitution provided for an entire article for the local government, particularly, Article X, which provided that that territorial and political subdivisions of the Republic of the Philippines are the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. It likewise provided for the manner and mechanisms by which such local governments would operate affording them fiscal autonomy and delegating to them such powers, authority and responsibility to carry out their mandate.

Under section 3 of said article specifically directs the Congress to enact a local government code which shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure and on 1991, Republic Act 7190 otherwise known as The Local Government Code of 1991 authored by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.

The Local Government Code liberates provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays from over-dependence upon the central government by increasing their powers and share in the taxes and wealth of the nation. It serves as the law governing the operations and functions of the local governments in the entire country providing for its powers and functions, roles and responsibilities, as well as its compositions and manner on how the very heart of local governance would be carried out.

October 10, 2012 marks the 21st year anniversary of the Local Government Code and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Baguio Field Office headed by Dir. Evelyn Trinidad, in coordination with the DILG, the Office of the City Mayor and the Liga ng mga Barangay headed by its president, Hon. Joel A. Alangsab, prepared a simple yet ceremonious event in its celebration.

Hon. Joel Alangsab, Liga President and City Councilor expressed that the barangays, being the smallest unit of governance, have played a role in city's success in the implementation of national and city government policies as well as in the implementation of projects and delivery of services to the people. At 21 years old, the Local Government Code, despite minor amendments on some of its provisions, have somewhat been outdated by the changes in national legislations, economy, and other factors, yet it still remains as the prevailing law which we in the barangays and the local government have to adhere to enable us to perform out roles and duties to our constituency. There are efforts for its amendment or revision, but to date, such changes have not yet been enacted.

The DILG - Baguio field office have prepared a program for October 10 at the Baguio Convention Center, highlighting on some of the major accomplishments of some barangays so as to serve as the role model for other barangays, to encourage them to be more vigilant in asserting their leadership abilities and potentials to better serve the people.

The entire government of the Philippines is broken down from the national level, local level and down to the barangays. It could be likened into a jigsaw puzzle where every government unit is one piece of jigsaw puzzle, and every single one piece fills up a particular space to make the picture whole and eventually bringing out the beauty in it. Every local government from the provinces, cities, municipalities and the barangays represents one piece of jigsaw puzzle that needs to fill up a space so as to form the picture which could be symbolic of the national visions and missions of the government. Only when each puzzle is able to fill in the space provided for them could these visions, missions and goals of the government be complete, absent of one would leave holes which is an indication that we, as a people, together with our leaders fell short of the expectations of living up in a successful and progressive nation.

//Happy birthday to our Hon. Mayor Mauricio Domogan.//