Marcos asks PH Councilors League to back admin’s legislative priorities

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday urged members of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) to support the passage of the administration’s legislative priorities, especially measures aimed at empowering local government units (LGUs).

He made the appeal during the PCL National Convention 2023 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, saying councilors should give life, meaning, and substance to the constitutional mandate of local autonomy and decentralization of powers.

LGU councilors are also endowed to engage in meaningful discussions on matters involving local legislative concerns, he added.

“With this, I am hopeful that you will support the passage of the administration’s legislative priorities, particularly measures that aim to capacitate local government units,” Marcos said in his speech.

Among these legislations are the e-Governance Act, which will institutionalize digitalization in the bureaucracy and ensure faster government transactions, and the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law amendment to address ambiguities, bottlenecks, and other challenges in implementing the existing law.

READ: PSAC: Marcos commits to certify e-Governance Act as urgent

The President said amending the BOT Law will empower LGUs to participate in more projects as the proposed revisions streamline the guidelines and eliminate uncertainties that limit their participation in public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Marcos also called on the councilors to help him lobby for the passage of the National Land Use Act to effectively manage the country’s land and water resources, as well as the Tax Package 3, or the Valuation Reform Bill, to ensure the development of a just, equitable, and efficient real property valuation system.

READ: Protect Masungi, pass national land use act now

Through the land use legislation, Marcos said LGUs could efficiently, equitably, and sustainably allocate land resources to achieve food security, determine hazardous areas, delineate protected areas, and identify areas for settlement, commercial, industrial and infrastructural uses.

“So let us also work together for the passage of the Waste Treatment Technology Act, which will pave the way for modern options in solving the persistent garbage problem of the country,” he said.

“This will mandate LGUs to promote, encourage, and implement a comprehensive solid waste management program that includes reduction, segregation, recycling, and recovery,” the President added.

Recognizing the role of the LGUs in addressing urgent concerns such as inflation, Marcos called on local legislators to ensure that local ordinances and measures enable the free and unhampered flow of goods within their localities.

He also urged them to continue bringing the government closer to the people by formulating programs and projects that nurture the well-being of their constituents.

He further noted that the PCL must also help bring government services to far-flung areas to make governance more accessible and convenient for everyone. He then assured the PCL that his administration would assist in formulating, implementing, and coordinating programs and projects for the benefit of the organization and the Filipino people.

The President likewise called on members of the PCL to shun corruption, asserting that as public servants, they must uphold transparency and accountability in their work.

“Apart from inhibiting yourselves from corrupt practices, I also urge you to avoid unjust and dangerous acts that put the bureaucracy in a state of decay,” Marcos said.

KGA/abc