Butuan City (PIA) – The Caraga Region served as host of the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines (VMLP) 28th National Convention and 4th Conference Academy of Presiding Officers at Almont Inland Resort in Butuan City on April 10-12.

The three-day convergence was attended by Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education Sara Z. Duterte and Senator Imee R. Marcos.

Vice mayors from the 149 cities and 1,485 municipalities in the country participated in the grand gathering with the theme, “Future-proofing the Local Legislature, Scaling Up Towards Smart Local Communities.”

Butuan City Vice Mayor Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun welcomed all the delegates and pondered their core, stating, “Local legislatures have to be constantly proactive and innovative while we try to continue to be relevant and responsive to the demands of the time without setting aside  the principles of transparency, inclusivity, efficiency, and accountability.”

Fortun hoped that activities like the national convention could build a strong and united legislative agenda that is useful to their league and can be carried by the vice mayors with them to their respective city or municipality. Legislative agenda for issues that are common to the LGU’s that they may also file with their local councils, which is way faster than bringing these agendas to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Sen. Marcos, as keynote speaker, lauded each and every vice mayor in attendance who is working hard round the clock in their respective areas, stating, “You are humbly performing two challenging roles as an all-time-ready officer-in-charge if the local chief executive is not around and as a lawmaker.”   

She said, "Regardless of your political color and jurisdiction, it is very important that, as a legislature and as a vice mayor, you should be an expert in legislation and good governance, and these should be manifested in your job."

Day one of the activity showcased a productive forum put on stage by the Director of the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), Dr. Reginald Ugaddan, that discussed the status of smart city development and the state of digital adoption and use in the country, emphasizing its benefits in transitioning into an efficient urban ecology.

Dr. Ugaddan also acknowledged emerging trends and issues in pursuing the path of sustainable governance. He brought into light the Philippine government and local efforts to ensure the steady progress of a handful of cities in the country and their transition into smart metropolises.

The second day was attended by Vice President Duterte who addressed the long standing issue of basic education and presented the MATATAG agenda, a comprehensive roadmap aimed at resolving current educational challenges. She emphasized the value of partnerships with local government units and the private sector.

“Education is everyone's business. Akin pong paki-usap kung pwede tutukan natin hindi lang ang paggawa ng mga classrooms, kundi pati na 'yong school-based feeding program,” said Duterte.

[My request is not only to prioritize the building of classrooms but also the school-based feeding program]. 

“By working together, we can overcome the basic barriers to education and create a better future for the Philippines. Together, we can change the educational landscape of the Filipinos, one learner at a time,” Duterte emphasized.

Duterte further segued and personally visited the pilot schools in Butuan City for the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum.

Participants on day two were engaged in breakout sessions as they were split into two groups. Group A, handled by the Civil Service Caraga XIII Regional Director Atty. Winston L. Plaza discussed "Human Resource Management from a Legislative Perspective." 

Group B was administered by the College Secretary of University of the Philippines College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) Dr. Erwin Gaspar tackled "Directing Policy on Reorganization and Policy."

An open forum also took place with acting Provincial Secretary of La Union, Dr. Jane T. Florez, and  Dr. Gaspar on "Good Housekeeping for the Sanggunian: Data Governance, Legislative Tracking and Digitalization."

As part of the VMLP itinerary, the vice mayors of the country had the opportunity to also visit local government units in the region, such as Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, and the Province of Dinagat Islands. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)

With the theme “Future-proofing the Local Legislature, Scaling Up Towards Smart Local Communities,” this year’s Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines national convention ensured that the plenary sessions and open forum would deliver the message on the pivotal role of digitalization and technology  at the local government units. Photo courtesy of VMLP Caraga.