TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The City Council of Baguio shared the best practices they are applying in their workplace including their actions during sessions to the staff and members of the sangguniang panlungsod, panlalawigan and bayan from all the municipalities and the city of Tabuk in the Province of Kalinga, who attended the Seminar Workshop on Local Legislation, started March 15, 2023 until March 17, 2023 at Davidson Hotel, Tabuk City.
The representatives from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Baguio namely Dan Ricky Ong, Protacio Peralta and Jordan Habbiling presented and explained to the participants their practices on how they are successfully crafting resolutions and ordinances in their respective local government unit, in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991 and other existing rules and regulations.
The Order of Business, which is part of the agenda during sessions, Parliamentary Rules & Processes, and the presiding officer’s responsibilities are further topics of discussion. Also, there was information on how to vote, how to raise motions, and how to maintain proper decorum throughout meetings.
The creation of resolutions and ordinances was a further topic of discussion. Moreover, there was the mocking and role-playing of parliament.
The duties of SP regular workers and the private secretaries or executive assistants of the elected officials were one of the issues brought up during the seminar workshop. The speakers said that a reconciliation of their duties based on their charter and civil service regulations was necessary.
It was also made clear who was in charge of taking minutes during committee meetings and who was in charge of drafting resolutions and ordinances prior to their passage.
One of the issues mentioned by the speakers was the inclusion of the citizens forum on the agenda of the meetings where Baguio City invites the public to voice their concerns to the council. However, there is no need for other local governments to follow the citizens forum because it is optional.
On the other hand, during the first day of the seminar workshop, Francisco Gamatero, a former official from the Department of Interior and Local Government, provided a summary of the Effective Local Legislation as well as the Roles, Duties, and Functions of the Sangguniang Bayan, Presiding Officer, and Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
For the attendees to be effective at their jobs, the speakers advised them to participate in ongoing training.
The participants were reminded also to always act in accordance with existing laws and regulations to avoid legal problems in the future. By Ian Addatu