“Our communities have changed, and the law should keep pace” – BM Kitongan on Local Government Code review

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — The Local Government Code should be reviewed not only based on its written provisions but also on whether it continues to respond to the needs of communities today, according to Kalinga Board Member Emilio Kitongan.

Kitongan made the statement after participating in the Local Government Code Review and Amendment Program (LGC RevAmP) held from September 14 to 17, 2026, at Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio City.

He was joined by fellow Kalinga provincial legislators Atty. Christopher Dona-al, retired PBGen. Alfredo Dangani, Roger Saga-oc and Romeo Saclag.

The regional consultation, led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), forms part of the continuing review of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991.

The Code has served as the legal framework for local autonomy and decentralization for more than three decades.

According to DILG materials on the RevAmP, the review covers four broad areas: financial and fiscal matters, service delivery, local autonomy, and administrative and operational concerns.

Consultations conducted in other regions under the program have also focused on identifying policy gaps, operational challenges and overlapping functions, with local experiences being gathered to inform possible reforms to the Code.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera on Friday, September 18, Kitongan said the review is timely, noting that the Local Government Code has been in effect for more than three decades since its enactment in 1991.

He said years of implementation have given local governments enough experience to assess how the law works in actual communities and whether its provisions remain responsive to present conditions.

Kitongan added that changes in communities also mean changes in the services and support expected from local governments.

“Our communities have changed, and the law should keep pace with those changes. We need to look at whether the provisions of the Code still help local governments respond to the needs of our people, especially in delivering the basic services expected from us,” Kitongan said.

He said local legislators have a direct perspective on these concerns because they regularly hear from constituents about problems involving government services and programs.

These experiences, he added, can help identify which provisions of the law work well in practice and which may need to be clarified or improved.

“We hear from our people about the services they need and the problems they face. Those experiences should also be considered because we see how government policies work at the local level,” Kitongan said.

The provincial legislator said the review also provides an opportunity to address provisions that may no longer be clear after years of implementation.

Rather than simply adding new provisions, he said the process should help make the responsibilities of local governments clearer and easier to carry out.

“Iti goal tayo gamin nu apay irevreview tayo diay Code is to make the law more useful to local governments ken kadagiti tatao nga pagserserbian tayo,” he added.

For Kitongan, bringing local experiences into the review is important because changes to the Code could eventually affect how local governments carry out their responsibilities and respond to their constituents.

He said recommendations gathered through the consultations will inform the continuing review and development of possible amendments to the Local Government Code.