Belmonte wants Legislative Academy instituted

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the next Congress should pursue the institution of a Legislative Academy under study by the 15th Congress to enhance the knowledge and skills of legislators in policymaking.

The leader of the House of Representatives lauded local government legislators for taking the initiative to establish Legislative Academy centers in urban areas for Philippine Councilors League (PCL) members in pursuit of higher education.

The Speaker also said he believes that much can be done by institutionalizing the program to promote strong participatory democracy.

“Like any other organization, we need to have efficient structures and systems. We need to have people who can do their jobs well. We need to be more aware of the nuances of the legislative process, and we need to adopt the best practices that will lead to higher performance,” Belmonte said.

“I envision the Legislative Academy not merely as a training institution for national and local government lawmakers. I envision it as a focal point - a place of convergence where both national and local lawmakers can discuss issues and concerns together, hand in hand, and support each other’s policies with laws and ordinances,” he added.

Belmonte also noted that the institution of Legislative Academy “has been well on the mind of Congress for some time already” but “time is against the current Congress.”

“I sincerely hope that in the next Congress, the legislative foundation for this academy can be established,” the Speaker said.

Currently, three measures are being studied by the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulations: House Bill Nos. 227, 108 and 1895 authored by Rep. Amado Bagatsing, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Rep. Ben Evardone, respectively.