The Cagayan de Oro City People’s Council has been recognized by the Office of the City Mayor through an executive order in line with local government’s commitment to best serve all stakeholders through the empowerment of the citizenry; humane, efficient, and transparent participatory governance, and the delivery of services that directly respond to the stakeholders’ needs.
In simple rites held at the City Mayor’s Office last October 9, 2015, Mayor Oscar S. Moreno signed Executive Order No. 097-15, Series of 2015, “An Order Recognizing the Cagayan de Oro People’s Council” and officially turned over a copy of the document to Peoples Council Chairman Bishop Jollieh Petallo in the presence of some members of the PC.
Mayor Oscar Moreno signs Executive Order #097-15 recognizing the People’s Council’s role in promoting participatory & good governance
According to the order, the LGU’s support stems from its constitutional mandate to “encourage non-governmental, community-based, or sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation” (Section 23 of Article 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution); “respect the role of independent people’s organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect, within the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations through peaceful and lawful means. People’s organizations are bona fide associations of citizens with demonstrated capacities to promote the public interest with identifiable leadership, membership and structure” (Section 15, Article 13);
It further cites from the same section, “The right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate consultative mechanisms’.
People’s Council stalwarts pose with Mayor Oscar Moreno & PC Chair Bishop Joelleh Petallo after the signing of Executive Order #0917-15
In his brief address to the People’s Council members present, Mayor Moreno said, “The enactment of this order is anchored in and its implementation shall be guided by the following principles: transparency in government decision-making and administration; accountability and the delivery of basic services; and participatory governance.”
“Participation ensures the broad-based support and the generation of ownership of government programs and projects if the people are included, not only in the implementation, but also in the conceptualization, monitoring and evaluation of the LGU’s programs and projects, thus ensuring their sustainability and success.”
The Cagayan de Oro People’s Council is a citizen’s led initiative convened to engage and collaborate with the local government (executive, legislative & bureaucracy) to advance a dynamic People’s Development Agenda (PDA).
People’s Council stalwarts with Mayor Oscar Moreno & PC Chair Bishop Joelleh Petallo.
“The PDA is a consolidation of social concerns raised by the citizens of the city on Health, Shelter and Resettlement, Education, Environment, Economic, Governance, Social Protection and Peace & Order,” said Bishop Petallo. “We will similarly seek the blessings of the City Council through a resolution or better still, an ordinance institutionalizing the People’s Council as the LGU’s partner in the city’s development.
For its initial year of operation, the PC has been assisted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with the Research and Social Outreach (SRO) arm of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan (XU) providing secretariat support.