Consultation on federal gov’t to start today in Legazpi City

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY -- Around 5,000 participants from all over Bicol are expected to gather at the regional consultation on the concrete proposals and design of the federal system of government that will start today until Saturday (July 5-7) at Albay Astrodome here. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Eloisa Pastor, in an interview on Tuesday, said the activity aims to gather feedback from various sectoral representatives to include women, farmers, the academe, the Church, business, and representatives of local government units and regional line agencies in Bicol, on the proposed draft Constitution that will be presented by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to review the 1987 Constitution. “We are expecting an active participation from all the attendees to take perceptions and inputs to enhance the said draft constitution during the forum and will shape the public opinion and will build voters understanding towards the shift to Federalism and strengthen stakeholder linkages and partnership,” Pastor said. The ConCom, created under Executive Order 10, is tasked to review the 1987 Constitution. It has completed its review and formulated a draft of the proposed Constitution to present to the people in a series of regional consultations throughout the country. Pastor explained that the three-day roadshow will have three components, namely, Constitutional Committee Regional Consultations; Federalism Convention and Town Hall Meeting with the Basic Sectors and Speakers Training. “During Day 1, a press conference is scheduled today at Ninong’s Hotel wherein the output of the ConCom will be presented to the media. For Day 2 morning, the orientation and consultation, all attendees from local government unit officials and basic sectors will be briefed about the proposed draft Constitution, while in the afternoon for the Town Hall Meeting, all basic sectors participants will gather to enhance the input and exchange ideas that is needed for the draft and for the Day 3, pledge or statement of support will be given by different local officials and stakeholders,” she said. After the regional consultations in this city, the next stop will be in Tacloban on July 11-13; Butuan on July 20-22 and in Cebu City on July 26-28. The invited speakers for the Bicol event are Albay 2nd district Representative Joey Sarte Salceda, an economist and the vice chairperson on House Committee on Appropriations; Atty. Susan Ordinario, member of the ConCom assigned for Bicol who hails from Catanduanes; DILG Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya; and federalism expert and Local Government Development Foundation Executive Director Edmund Soriano Tayao.