To facilitate the widest dissemination of the proposed constitutional amendments, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) implemented the Balangayan 2020: Constitutional Reform Convention/Rally (CoReCON) and People’s Day. This is an avenue for the Department to impart knowledge among the constituents, the positive effects of amending the constitution. Through this, the President’s objective towards an enriched constitution for the people is a step away from realization.
In continuance, the DILG Region V conducted the Balangayan 2020 in all the provinces of Region V. The province of Camarines Norte, a province located in the northern part of the region, conducted the same activity with the aim of informing and enlightening the constituents of the possibilities of a reformed constitution. This was conducted last 22 January 2020, Wednesday, 1:00 PM at Agro Sports Complex, Daet, Camarines Norte. The venue was large enough to accommodate one thousand three hundred and twenty-nine (1,329) with participants from the twelve (12) towns of the province. From the provincial local government down to the barangays, elective officials were invited to participate, including Sangguniang Kabataan officials, Civil Society Organizations and Media representatives. The Governor of the province, Hon. Edgardo A. Tallado, together with all members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and the Local Chief Executives of the municipalities and barangays were present during the said forum.
Governor Edgardo A. Tallado delivered his welcome message and commended the efforts of the local officials especially the barangays for a chance towards good governance. The Assistant Regional Director of DILG V, Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober Jr. rendered a message and gave a short overview of the objective of the Constitutional Reform Convention.
The event sought to disseminate the information on Constitutional Reform and its impact relative to the proposed amendments of the 1987 Constitution. The former Vice Governor of Camarines Sur, Hon. Fortunato Peña was the resource speaker and main discussant of the activity. He discussed and presented why there is a need to change some provisions of the constitution. The discussion was very informative as it tackled the benefits the LGUs and its constituents shall enjoy in initiating a change in the provisions of the Constitution, particularly with the incorporation of the Mandanas Case Ruling on the IRA sharing and with the change in the character of the Regional Development Council into a Regional Development Authority, where all development agenda of all LGUs will be discussed in the Senate.
Before the activity ended, there was an open forum, with ARD Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober Jr., Former Vice-Governor and Resource Speaker Fortunato Peña, PD Ray B. Caceres, and Governor Edgardo A. Tallado as the panelists. There was a show of interest on the part of the participants since there were many questions, issues and clarification raised addressed to the resource speaker. The activity ended with the closing remarks of PD Ray B. Caceres by acknowledging the participation of all elective & appointive officials and especially thank the support given by the provincial government thru Governor Tallado who provided the manpower and the use of the venue even if it was undergoing renovation and also to Miss April Guinto of the provincial government and to Miss Ivy Consuelo-Garcia, a media practitioner who did the facilitating during the whole duration.
Written By: JOHN DAVE R. BARCELONA , LGOO II