Public hearings pushed on autonomy, city charter bills

BAGUIO CITY -- Officials here urged Rep. Mark Go to conduct public consultations in the city on the latest version of the proposed autonomy law pending in Congress and the proposed amendments to the revised Charter of Baguio City if any.
    Under Resolution 204, series of 2023, the city council stated during consultations held last Feb. 28 at Baguio Convention Center, participants said the revised Charter of Baguio city could have included merging of the city’s 128 barangays to comply with the standard requirement for a barangay as defined under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act 7160 or the Local government Code of the Philippines.
    The council said the city’s representative to the House is actively doing important legislations such as the proposed autonomy law and constitutional amendments, and the revised Charter of Baguio City under RA 11689 and the Metropolitan Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISST) development Authority under RA 11932 which may soon become laws.
    The city council said the city’s citizenry should be well informed and be part in crafting the said legislations, otherwise, for lack of consultations and information, they might reject the law.
    The body said considering that said legislative measures will have significant implications on lives and property rights of citizens in the city, public consultations should be an important aspect of democratic  governance allowing people to voice out their opinions and concerns about matters that will affect them; and that consultations should be always made part of national and local legislations.
    Earlier, the House committees on ways and means, local government and appropriations approved House Bill 3267 authored by all Cordillera congressmen that seeks to establish the Cordillera Autonomy’s Region where the same will be ready for plenary debates once the house committee on rules shall have scheduled the same after Congress will resume regular sessions after going on a Holy Week break until the first week of May. -- Dexter A. See