As the interim Bangsamoro parliament, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is required to pass into law ‘priority legislations’ enumerated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law(BOL). One of which is the Bangsamoro Local Government Code (BLGC) that will cover all local government units (LGUs) existing and those that may be created thereafter within the jurisdiction of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Hence, an ad hoc committee was formed to specifically draft a bill therefor. Consequently, the Ad Hoc Committee on Local Government Code (LGC) conducted their first committee meeting on June 25, 2019, at the RLA Executive Lounge, BARMM Compound.
“I hereby commit to fully contribute and collaborate for the completion and realization of the Local Government Code of BARMM. And your attendance now signifies that we are all in agreement that a genuine local autonomy continues to be a work in progress, and that we all want to participate in making an effective and mass-based approach in the formulation and actual delivery of services to the public,”Mibpantao Midtimbang, the chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on LGC, pronounced during his opening remarks on the committee meeting on LGC.
Atty. Laisa M. Alamia, the vice – chairperson, facilitated the meeting and presented the proposed principles and parameters that will serve as a guide in drafting the appropriate provisions for Bangsamoro LGC.
Chiefly, the codification of LGC will give effort in fulfilling socio-political policies of the Bangsamoro Government (BG) as reflected in the preamble and purpose of the BOL and equip all LGUs to pursue and achieve self-reliance. It also entails alignment of the national and the BG development priorities which includes the strengthening of frontline services.
The initial discussion was able to hear out preliminary issues and concerns that are essential in drafting the LGC such as the division and classification of work and responsibilities between the national and local governments, and the appropriation of funds considering the change and transition of the government system followed by the BARMM.
Significantly, the members of the Ad Hoc Committee have conveyed their intention to commit their time to support and work with the committee until the adoption of the BLGC which is aimed to be completed by the first or second quarter of 2020. The committee aims to codify provisions that will realize a genuine and meaningful local autonomy and empowering local governments to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and more effective partners in the attainment of visions of BARMM.
