Tabuk City peace council includes women members

By Geraldine G. Dumallig

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The MatagoanBodong Consultative Council, a special body created to settle conflicts here, will include women as members of the council.

            Five women members to be included as representatives of the women sector from the five districts of Tabuk City.

            Heriberto Barila of the MBCC, said with involvement of women in the peace process policy-making and activities, the MBCC would effectively reach out to communities in its conflict resolution programs.

           

The council in a recent assembly consulted with women representatives on their involvement and active participation as council members.

            During said meeting, women raised several concerns.

            Topping the list was creation of a women’s desk in every barangay council; a women sectoral representative in the SangguniangPanglungsod and the formal recognition and institution of the women sector as members of the MBCC.

            Currently, the MBCC he said formulated a proposal for the funding request of said sector through the Ways and Means Committee of the SP to make official their membership in the council.

            He said as initial activity, the MBCC would conduct an information education campaign in the five districts to inform the  women sector  participation and expected roles in the city’s peace process.

            Created under the leadership of then City Mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr., the MBCC was designed as the LGUs arm in settling conflicts especially in the Matagoan Zone or zone of life which is not covered by the 'bodong' (peace pact).

            Upon the assumption of Ferdinand Tubban as the city mayor, he pushed to strengthen the program believing its effectiveness in resolving the peace and order concerns in the city as it unifies the natives and immigrants by advocating equality   and recognizing uniformity in the laws of the bodong.