Legislative Intent

Last summer, during the campaign period, I promised my constituents that I am going to pass a code containing the updated version of our ordinances from 1991 onwards. Should this materialize, law enforcers would have a clearer guide on what are the rights and obligations of the residents of and everyone else within the territorial jurisdiction of Lingayen, Pangasinan. I do intend to make good my promise to my constituents but as early as now, I am already encountering problems.

My biggest obstacle is ensuring that I cover all the ordinances. The thing is, because of a typhoon that hit our town in the late 90’s, the old Sangguniang Bayan Hall was badly damaged, along with its records. Even until now, not all the records have been reconstituted, leaving gaps in documentation.

Fortunately, in one of the seminars I attended, I was advised that if I would not be able to complete the records, I should start fresh; that since more than 10 years have elapsed and that our town has already undergone major changes, I should assume that the lost ordinances are already obsolete. If the missing ordinances are still relevant, we'll just re-enact them.

I was also informed that I should seek help from the National Computer Center of UP. According to the person who advised me, I could write a letter request for a software which would tabulate the activities of the local legislative body complete from attendance, committee reports, resolutions passed and ordinances enacted. It would create a database for all those details and at the same time make it readily uploadable in the internet. With this, my successor would no longer have to go through the tedious process of sifting the records manually. In addition, this would be of help in ensuring transparency, accuracy of records, and efficiency.

I’m hoping that a computerized legislative records system would be one of the legacies I get to leave our municipality. Next on my list of targets is to find a source of funding for the Sanggunian's own LCD projector so that committee and public hearings for ordinances would produce less waste of paper.

Now I know what I want for Christmas.

- Evangelista, Emmanuel Benedict C. (Blog Entry No. 5)