Cordillera solons press inclusion in RDC meets

BAGUIO CITY -- Cordillera congressmen proposed their possible inclusion in meetings of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera to forge harmonious relationship among elected leaders and regional line agency officials.

The lawmakers made the proposal to RDC-CAR officials during the advisory committee meeting of the region’s policy-making body held at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City last Wednesday.

Under provisions of Executive Order (EO) No. 325 that prescribed guidelines in the operation of the RDCs in the country, members of the House of Representatives are considered to be members of the advisory committee that serve as the overall adviser of the body in the conduct of its activities and in the formulation of its programs and projects geared towards the overall development of the regions.

However, the Cordillera congressmen told the RDC-CAR to initiate appropriate move that will facilitate possible amendment of the presidential issuance to include them as members for them to actively participate in deliberations considering that most of their proposed legislations need the formal endorsement of the RDC aside from the fact that they will be the ones to help in defending the budgets of the regional line agencies that are lodged in the annual budgets of the different departments of the national government.

Based on guidelines on composition of the RDCs, one-fourth of members should come from the duly accredited civil society organizations that will represent either geographic and sectoral groups that will comprise the private sector representatives.

Milagros A. Rimando, RDC-CAR vice chairperson and regional director of the Cordillera office of the National Economic and Development Authority, welcomed the proposal of the Cordillera congressmen to be actively involved in the regular activities of the region’s policy-making body because it will help in strengthening working relationship of Cordillera leaders and line agencies in the region.

She tasked development administration committee of the RDC to formulate its recommendations on how to ensure the involvement of the Cordillera congressmen to activities of the region’s policy-making body while working out necessary amendments to the executive order so members of the House of Representatives will be considered as members of the RDC in their areas of jurisdiction.

The RDC is mandated to conduct quarterly meetings and  4th quarter meeting of the region’s policy-making body is scheduled during any of Thursdays in November which will be hosted by Apayao.

Earlier, the Office of the President through Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles advised both the RDCs and Regional Peace and Order Councils in the country to conduct joint meetings to maximize time and resources of the participants.

Since 2016, both the RDC-CAR and RPOC-CAR had been conducting joint meetings around the region. – Dexter A. See