THE four (4) newest Members of the House of Representatives (HRep) on Thursday went through the Executive Course on Legislation (ECL) for Members of the 19th Congress. They were Rep. Crispin Diego Remulla (7th District, Cavite), Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Party-list, ACT CIS), Rep. Rosemarie Conejos Panotes (2nd District, Camarines Sur), and Rep. Roberto Uy Jr. (1st District, Zamboanga del Norte).
The ECL was organized by the Office of Secretary-General Reginald Velasco, in partnership with the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) Center for Policy and Executive Development (CPED) to help newly-installed Congressmen fulfill their legislative duties more effectively.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) Team Leader and NCPAG Lecturer Dr. Gilberto Llanto tackled development concepts, indicators, and approaches, as well as current issues and challenges in Philippine Development and Public Policy, which seek to offer guidance to the new House Members.
Committee Affairs Department (CAD) Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Jennifer “Jef” Baquiran thoroughly discussed the budget process, one of the institution’s constitutional mandates. He also talked about the inner workings of the various House committees.
Legislative Operation Department (LOD) DSG Atty. David Robert Amorin explained the legislative process, as well as parliamentary rules and procedures, during which he highlighted three fundamental principles: 1) respect the rule of the majority; 2) protect the rights of the minority; and 3) defend the rights of individual members.
Legislative Information Resources Management Department (LIRMD) DSG Dr. Edgardo Pangilinan, Ph.D., showed a video presentation outlining the House Secretariat’s support services to assist lawmakers in their legislative work.
UP-NCPAG Dean Dr. Kristoffer Berse assured the neophyte Congressmen that the course has been revised and customized to correspond to the needs of incumbent lawmakers.
Other topics touched on during the ECL included 1) legislative ethics and accountability by UP-NCPAG Professorial Lecturer Atty. Alder Delloro, 2) citizen engagement, constituencies, and advocacy by Ateneo de Manila University Associate Prof. Maria Elissa Lao, DPA, and 3) media and basic cyber security and online hygiene by UP College of Mass Communication (CMC) Prof. Dr. Rachel Khan. Also present was Administrative Department OIC-DSG Atty. Jennelyn Go-Sison.
