City Councilor Elaine Sembrano wants to institutionalize a peoples’/ sectoral congress in Baguio City once every three years.

Sembrano proposed the institutionalization of a people’s congress to promote the active participation of its constituents, particularly the urban poor, women, youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, labor, micro and small entrepreneurs sectors, in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies, and development projects and services as one of the pillars of good governance.

The proposed measure creates a Peoples’ Congress Committee composed of the mayor as chairperson, vice mayor as co-chair, and City Planning Officer as action officer.

Members are the City Social Welfare and Development and Budget officers, city council chairs on social services and urban poor and ways and means committees, Liga ng mga Barangay president, and representatives of accredited non-government organization and people’s organization.

The committee is tasked to set the date for the conduct of the peoples’ congress within six months after the conduct of the local elections for the new set of office of city  government officials and shall be conducted for a minimum of two days and set the general policy direction, purposes, and mechanisms in the congress’ conduct, in accordance with the governance thrust of the city executive and the city council’s legislative agenda.

It will also keep a record of all the proceedings and results of the congress; collate and submit the same for appropriate information and action, to the City Mayor’s Office and city council; and invite experts and effective facilitators to assist in the activities to maximize the opportunity of drawing the best information and inputs from participants.

The proposed ordinance states that the City Planning Office’s  annual budget shall be adjusted accordingly to provide for the funds  to implement at the measure.

The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading.