“We should not look only at what is written in the Code, but how… proposed changes can better respond to the needs of our constituents”: BM DONA-AL, fellow Kalinga legislators join LGC Review

BAGUIO CITY — Four Kalinga provincial legislators joined other local lawmakers from the Cordillera in a consultation on possible amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991, bringing their experiences in local governance to the ongoing review of the law.

Board Member Atty. Christopher D. Dona-al, along with fellow Kalinga Board Members retired PBGen. Alfredo K. Dangani, Roger Saga-oc and Romeo Saclag, participated in the Local Government Code Review and Amendment Program (LGC RevAmP) at Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio City.

The consultation, led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), runs until September 17 and provides local legislators and other stakeholders an opportunity to raise concerns, share experiences and recommend possible changes to Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991.

Dona-al said the participation of local legislators is important because they directly experience how the provisions of the Code affect the work of local government units and their legislative bodies.

“Changes to the law should reflect the realities of local governments. We should not look only at what is written in the Code, but also at how its provisions work in our actual duties, what challenges we encounter, and how proposed changes can better respond to the needs of our constituents—nu kasano a makatulong ti Kalinga nga pagserserbiyan tayo,” Dona-al said in an interview with Guru Press Cordillera.

He said local legislators can help identify provisions that may be difficult to implement, unclear or no longer responsive to current local-government needs.

“Local lawmakers are in a position to see which provisions are practical and which ones may still need clarification or improvement. That is why it is important for us to share our experiences, so the recommendations can be based not only on theory but also on what local governments actually face in carrying out their responsibilities,” he added.

The LGC RevAmP is part of the DILG’s continuing effort to review a law that has served as the legal framework for local autonomy and decentralization for more than three decades.

DILG materials on the program say the consultations are intended to gather field-based insights, identify policy gaps, clarify institutional or functional overlaps, and determine which concerns require legislative amendments or may instead be addressed through policy and improved implementation.

The review also seeks to ensure that proposed reforms are grounded in the actual experiences of local governments. Other DILG regional consultations have similarly emphasized the importance of bringing together local officials and practitioners to develop reforms that are responsive to present-day governance challenges and service-delivery needs.

For Kalinga, Dona-al said the participation of its provincial legislators provides an avenue to bring the province’s actual local-governance experiences into the broader review of the law.

The inputs gathered during the consultations are expected to form part of the continuing review and development of recommendations for possible amendments to the Local Government Code.

Dona-al said the participation of Kalinga legislators ultimately aims to help ensure that any proposed changes address the realities faced by local governments and enable them to better serve their constituents.