Iloilo City Liga holds 1st Mobile Congress
Liga ng mga Barangay president and ex-officio City
Councilor Irene Ong (3rd from left) shows to her
colleagues in the city council pictures of their trip
to Baguio City recently. Ong along with 139 other
barangay officials participated in the league's first
ever mobile congress.
The Liga ng mga Barangay Iloilo City Chapter's 1st Mobile Congress, held last May 2-5, in Baguio City, was deemed a success, according to the city's Punong Barangays who took part in the activity. Around 140 of the city's 180 Punong Barangays participated in the congress.
Liga President Irene Ong said the activity, which was duly approved by the Department of Interior and Local Government as well as the City Mayor's Office, achieved its primary goal of establishing unity and camaraderie within the Liga.
"The time that we were together opened our eyes to the nature and character of each Punong Barangay giving us greater insight as to how the Liga should better serve the needs of the various barangays in the city," said Ong.
To recall, the previous Liga was fragmented by political partisanship, rendering the organization unable to effectively serve the Punong Barangays. When she was elected president of the Liga in December 2007, Ong vowed to unite the Punong Barangays and turn the Liga into a dynamic organization that will cater to the needs its members.
"Of course, the Punong Barangays, particularly those serving their first term in office, also learned the nature of their functions and responsibilities from the lectures and observation tours that were conducted," she added.
Ong said the 1st Mobile Congress was highlighted by lecture-discussions from Sr. State Prosecutor Romeo Galvez, Sr., Head of the Justice Action Center of the Department of Justice on the Barangay Justice System and the by Atty. Ramsey Sudaypan, Assistant City Prosecutor of Baguio City on Warrantless Arrests and Hot Pursuit Operations.
Punong Barangay Reyland Hervias of Compania Central, Molo District, said the lecture "clarified the roles of the Punong Barangays in the administration of justice particularly in arbitrating cases between local residents." Hervias, a newly-elected Punong Barangay, is president of ABC Molo District.
For his part, Punong Barangay Quirico Mendoza of Oñate- De Leon in Mandurriao said they were enlightened on how to conduct hot pursuit operations, particularly when there is reasonable ground to go after a particular suspect even when he is in his home. Like Hervias, Mendoza is a first termer and is president of the ABC Mandurriao District.
Aside from the two resource speakers from the DOJ, San Agustin, City Proper Punong Barangay Roberto Divinagracia, president of the ABC City Proper lectured on the delivery of Health and other barangay services; ABC Jaro District President Jonas Bellosillo lectured on Solid Waste Management; and ABC Lapaz District President Carlos Guarin lectured on Peace and Order.
During their observation tour, the Punong Barangays noted the successful management of cooperatives in Baguio City and the effective control and management of Solid Waste disposal being implemented by the local government of Baguio City. They were also impressed by the discipline of public transportation drivers of the country's summer capital.
These insights are invaluable inputs that our Punong Barangays can put to good use in the performance of their duties and responsibilities, said President Ong. "Because of the success of the program, we plan to conduct more mobile congresses in the future," she said