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LOCAL SECTORAL REPRESENTATION:
A Citizen's Guide

The Local Governance Policy Forum (LGPF) is a network of non-government organizations, people's organizations and members of the academe working to further the democratic gains of decentralization and local autonomy mandated by the 1987 Constitution. It monitors and evaluates the implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991. Through research, advocacy, and lobbying efforts, the LGPF works to ensure that genuine local autonomy and its promise of greater development and democratization are fulfilled.

Presently, the LGPF is composed of the following organizations:

The following primer explains the nature of local sectoral representation and presents the views of the member organizations in the form of proposals that can be incorporated into a law that will implement it.

Local sectoral representation (LSR) is a system where representatives from local sectoral groups are elected to sit as members of the local sanggunians (legislative councils) in all municipalities, cities and provinces.

These sectoral representatives sit as part of the sanggunian to enact laws that will address the concerns of the sectors that they represent.

Local sectoral representation is mandated by the laws of the Philippines. Article X, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "Legislative bodies of local governments shall have sectoral representation as may be prescribed by law." The Constitution, therefore, mandates Congress to provide the law that will implement local sectoral representation for local elections.
Pursuant to this mandate, Congress passed the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991. Section 41 (c) of the Code in part provides that:

In addition thereto, there shall be one (1) sectoral representative from the women, one (1) from the workers, and one (1) from any of the following sectors: the urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, disabled persons, or any other sector as may be determined by the sanggunian concerned within ninety (90) days prior to the holding of the next local elections as may be provided for by law. The COMELEC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively provide for the election of such sectoral representatives.

Local sectoral representation represents three kinds of reforms:

1. Local Governance Reform (Democratic Participation in Governance)
Local sectoral representation is intended to give the marginalized and the underrepresented sectors of society the chance to be represented in the local legislature and participate and articulate sectoral issues and concerns. There is increasing recognition of the fact that good governance requires the cooperation of the various stakeholders of a community.

2. Politico-Electoral Reform
Local sectoral representation puts a premium on sectoral issues. It discourages personality politics, which has long characterized Philippine politics. In other words, Local Sectoral Representation seeks to impress our politics with genuine issues affecting our development as a people, and is designed to discourage the age-old practice of relying on popularity as a basis for election.

3. Social reform
Local sectoral representation provides a manner through which the peoples' agenda for development can be promoted. Sadly, our experience in local governance has shown that underprivileged sectors are approached only during elections and primarily for the purpose of generating votes for particular candidates. These sectors are subsequently neglected once the winners are proclaimed.
Local Sectoral Representation will change this practice by ensuring that the concerns of underprivileged sectors are continuously addressed. The presence of the basic sectors in the sanggunians can go a long way to ensuring proper attention to the concerns of these sectors.

Local sectoral representation must be viewed as a means of avoiding those times where our elected officials are not legislating in the interest of the local community. The concept must be viewed as a way of checking official abuse.

It is similar to the manner in which the Constitution and other laws grant citizens the power of initiative and referendum. These measures are designed to provide people with the means to legislate on issues that are being ignored by local officials.

Initiative and referendum, however, have several constraints, making them tedious and expensive. Local sectoral representation avoids these problems by providing that sectoral representatives themselves should sit in the sanggunian and assist in the legislation of local matters.

Local sectoral representation is not a new concept. It was introduced through Batas Pambansa Blg. 697 (1984) and it was later included in the Omnibus Election Code, Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 (1985).

These provisions, however, were not similar in the sense that the sectoral representatives are appointed by the President. These provisions were not effectively implemented.

Not all provisions in the Constitution are self-executing. Many provisions require what are called enabling legislation before they become effective. The provision on LSR is one such case. It becomes the duty of Congress to pass the law that will make local sectoral representation a reality.

 

 

 

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