Luzon Mayors attend to ravaged municipalities, postpones convention

Due to the succession of typhoons hitting Luzon, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) has postponed its Luzon Island Cluster Conference on October 5 to 7, 2011 in Subic Zambales to attend to their constituents hit by Typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

According to LMP National President Strike Revilla municipal mayors have an urgent task to make sure that our Kababayans are safe and their needs are taken cared. Referring to hardest hit municipalities, Revilla said "it will make no sense talking and discussing in a conference when many are trapped in flooded areas and some are in evacuation centers almost without food and water.”

Many other Mayors echoed this decision while currently busy with relief and rescue operations. The LMP also calls on all sectors to help those affected by the typhoons and floods and course it through organizations distributing relief goods in the affected provinces.

According to experts, these types of disasters caused by strong typhoons and hurricanes will become a norm in the years to come. The LMP has already started preparing for the future, months ago during its Davao City Climate Change convention, but now the LMP vows to take action so that less and less people will be hurt and displaced by strong typhoons.

Mayor Strike emphasized, "a national preparedness and risk reduction plan will only work if LGUs take action, otherwise any national initiative will become futile.” LMP

Program for Early Detection and TB Cure is good politics, Mayors say

In an effort to help the national government in combating the spread of Tuberculosis (TB), the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) implemented the program “TB Sugpuin: Sama Sama, Kayang Kaya” which improved early detection and cure of TB in various municipalities.

Believing that good health is good politics, LMP approved a resolution that pushed for the implementation of TB control program in all municipalities, with mayors taking the lead.

Unlike other laws passed in Congress that are not realized due to lack of funding, LMP resolutions quickly shows results of implementation of their various programs and projects, explained Ms. Li-ann De Leon, LMP Executive Director .

“When this program kicked off in March last year, campaigning for the national and local elections were starting to intensify,” Ms. De Leon said. “For most organizations, this situation meant stalled program implementation, but we in LMP saw the election period as an opportunity to get better support from Mayors,” she explained.

When mayors make their presence felt on the ground in providing basic health services, people remember them, she added.

“The program of the LMP and USAID-TBLINC formally ended last June, it generated 19 chapter resolutions which cascaded in several provinces,” shared Mayor Roel Paras, LMP Secretary General and Spokesperson for the program.

“Even though the program has ended, we are determined to continue localizing the program and getting political commitments from Mayors to sustain comprehensive implementation of National TB programs and activities,” said Paras.

Meanwhile, Mayor Strike Revilla, LMP National President said that support of the mayor is very crucial in the successful implementation of any national health program.

“Any national government program will not be successful unless mayors are fully supportive of it,” Mayor Revilla said. “LMP has 1,500 member municipalities and we will advance our priority agenda for development” he explained. LMP

BINAY SUPORTADO ANG LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES (LMP) SA PAGPAPAUNLAD NG BANSA

BINAY SUPORTADO ANG LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES (LMP) SA PAGPAPAUNLAD NG BANSA

SA kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay naganap sa Sofitel ang pagsasama-sama ng 1,512 na munisipyo sa ating bansa. Ang kapulungan ay tatlong araw na isinagawa (Nobyembre 30-Disyembre 2, 2010) na may temang “Unity in Diversity Amidst Local Challenges”.

            Sa ikalawang araw ng aktibidad ay nagkaroon din ng pagsasalin ng panunungkulan ni Mayor Ramon N. Guico, Jr. sa mga bagong hirang na mga opisyales ng LMP sa pamumuno ni Mayor Strike Revilla ng Bacoor, Cavite. Si Vice President Jejomar Binay ang nagpatibay ng kanilang panunumpa sa katungkulan bilang mga bagong opisyal ng LMP.

            Layunin ng kapulungang ito na mapag-usapan at mapagsama-sama ang mga suliranin na kinakaharap ng kanilang bayan tulad ng isyu ng kalusugan, ‘environment’, at ‘boundaries’ na magpahanggang sa kasalukuyan ay marami pa ring nakabinbin na nagreresulta sa hindi mailabas-labas na pondo ng Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). Nais din ng LMP na mahanapan ito ng solusyon upang mapaunlad hindi lamang ang kanilang munisipalidad kundi ang bansang Pilipinas sa kabuuan.

            Sa ibinigay na pananalita ng Binay na ang lokal na pamahalaan ang kadalasang laging nakaharap sa mga problema ng bayan tulad ng ‘peace and order’, kalusugan, edukasyon at kalamidad. Aniya dahil dito ay LGU rin ang syang laging nangunguna sa paghanap ng solusyon o hakbang upang ang mga problema ng bayan ay maisaayos.

            Pagdidiin din ng Pangalawang Pangulo na panahon na upang magkaroon ng amyenda ang ‘Local Government Code’ upang nauugnay o maging napapanahon ang mga polisiya at maging epektibo ito sa bawat munisipalidad. Dahil dito ay isinusulong nya na madagdagan ang taon ng panunungkulan ng mga lokal na opisyal sa pamamagitan ng ‘constitutional amendments’ sapagkat hindi umano sapat ang tatlong (3) taon.

            Gayundin, binanggit nya na magkaroon ng pagsasarili ang bawat LGU pagdating sa pinansyal na aspeto sa pamamagitan ng awtomatikong paglalabas ng IRA na galling din mismo sa lokal na pamahalaan upang maiwasan ang pag-ipit ng pondo dulot ng pulitika. Isinusulong din ng Bise na makapagtatag ng ‘development banking facility’ para sa LGU na tatawaging ‘Local Government Development Bank’.

            Kinakailangan ding pag-aralan ang pagkakaroon ng ‘Sectoral Representatives’ ng mga ‘Civil Society Organizations’ sa lokal na konseho dahil sila aktuwal na katuwang sa komunidad. Ang pagkakaroon ng ‘Memorandum of Agreement o Understanding’ ng pamahalaan sa mga pribadong sector ng lipunan at ‘Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) ay magiging epektibo rin.

            Sa kanyang pagtatapos ay nirerekomenda rin ni Binay na itaas ang sahod ng mga lokal na opisyal at ‘exempted’ sa ‘Salary Standardization Law’ sa loob ng tatlong hanggang anim na taon.

            Namutawi rin sa Pangalawang Pangulo ng bansa na ang bawat Alkalde ng bawat bayan ay hindi dapat matakot sa pagsasabi ng katotohanan at matutong manindigan sa katotohanan anuman ang mangyari lalo na ito ay para sa katotohanan, katarungan at kabutihan ng sambayanan.

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