QC pushes for participatory government with creation of People’s Council

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City local government established a people's council to push for participatory governance in the city and serve as the city’s lobby group on behalf of its members and networks, it said Thursday. 

The People’s Council of Quezon City, which serves as the "umbrella arm" of 2,232 Civil Society Organizations accredited by the city hall, will work with the local government "to ensure that every program or policy is indeed responsive to the needs of residents."

“The People’s Council will serve as the eyes, ears, and voice of the people in our city government. Their skills will go a long way in developing the right and appropriate programs for the residents,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in Filipino at oath-taking of the interim executive committee officers of the People’s Council of Quezon City.

Belmonte also signed the implementing rules and regulations of the Participation, Accountability, and Transparency City Ordinance strengthening and institutionalizing the system of partnership between the local government and its constituents. 

Under the IRR of the ordinance, the PCQC can sit in the city’s local special bodies (task force, committees, etc.) through their elected representative whose expertise is in line with the bodies’ target sector. They will participate in all the committee’s deliberation, conceptualization and evaluation of projects. 

"When there is a people's council, all the processes, from planning, to budgeting, to the implementation of the program, will be more scrutinized," Belmonte said.

"True clean and honest government is when the people are involved in governing. Now that there is a PCQC that can cooperate with the city government, citizens can hope that every peso and cent that comes from their taxes will go to meaningful programs that will help raise the living standards of every resident."

How does it work?

PCQC members include representatives from sectors of Business, Professional, Women, Homeowners Associations, Persons-with-Disabilities, Urban Poor, Solo Parents, LGBTQIA, Cooperatives, Charitable/Socio-Civic, Social Justice/Peace and Order, Health and Sanitation, Academe/Education, Youth, Labor/Workers, Transportation, Senior Citizens, Socio-Cultural, Environmental/Urban Protection/Solid Waste, Livelihood/Vendors, Religious.

The city said it also plans to add Muslim or Bangsamoro, Sports,and Media in the represented sectors. 

It will also conduct research and will have a data bank for sectoral concerns and document community initiatives in development. The result of their research will be considered in the identification and development of the city’s programs and projects. 

Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com.