Hey Look! Your Congressman is Working!

September 18th, 2006 | Abra, Apayao, Baguio, Benguet, Government, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Politics

FROM TOP, L-R: DOMOGAN, BULUT, WACNANG, BERSAMIN, DOMINGUEZ, CHUNGALAO, AND DANGWA. TWO ARE POSTED TWICE BECAUSE THEY FILED MY FAVORITE BILLS (BUT ALSO TO BALANCE THE LAYOUT

As we earlier stated, this blog is an equal opportunity blog. We give space to soldiers, rebels, peacemakers, activists, academics, athletes, etc. and now we are giving space to Cordillera Congressmen (unfortunately there’s no woman in the group). Since the elections are coming next year, let’s review what our Representatives have been doing in Congress. This review is based on the records posted at the official website of the Lower House (www.congress.gov.ph) which was last updated on August 24, 2006.

This is a collective review of Cordillera solons since it will take forever if we assess them individually. For those who want more details about their particular Representative, please visit the link above.

1. Total number of bills/resolutions filed by Cordillera solons: 273.
Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao tops the list with 67 bills filed. He is followed by Mt. Province Rep. Victor Dominguez (54), Benguet Rep.Samuel Dangwa (52), Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan (48), Kalinga Rep. Lawrence Wacnang (25), Apayao Rep. Elias Bulut (22), and Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin (5).

2. Bills/resolutions approved by the House (and now pending in the Senate): 76.
Rep. Dominguez tops this category with 22 bills approved by the House. He is followed by Chungalao (18), Dangwa (17), Domogan (10), Wacnang (8), and Bulut (7).

3. Bills filed by Cordillera Congressmen enacted into law: Zero

4. Committee Chair positions held by Cordillera solons: One; The Committee on National Cultural Communities chaired by Congressman Chungalao.

5. Vice-chair positions held by Cordillera solons: 11
Rep. Bulut leads with three vice-chairmanships: Games and Amusements; Priority Provinces; Public Works
Bersamin: Dangerous Drugs; Trade and Industry
Chungalao: Agrarian Reform; Priority Provinces
Dangwa: Public Works; Transportation
Dominguez: National Cultural Communities
Domogan: Constitutional Amendments
Wacnang: None

5. Cordillera solons’ membership in congressional committees: 70
Rep. Chungalao tops this category with 24 committee memberships. He is followed by Domogan (14), Bersamin (11), Wacnang (11), Bulut (10), and Dominguez (10).

6. Favorite subject of Congressmen’s bills: Schools — establishing a school, separating a school annex into a national high school, or changing a school’s name to something else.

7. Second favorite subject of Congressmen’s bills: Roads, particularly the conversion of a municipal/provincial road into a national road.

8. Bill with the funniest title: “An act declaring xxxx as a tourist spot.” This made me laugh. Do we really need a law to declare such and such a place a tourist spot? Doesn’t a place become a tourist spot by the mere fact that tourists go there. So let’s send a message to Congressman Chungalao: Ifugao already is an eco-tourism destination. In fairness to our lawmakers, if this is one way of getting funds for the region then they should go ahead and do it. Congressman Dominguez should file a bill declaring Sagada as a tourist spot. Congressman Wacnang should file another declaring Balbalasang as an eco-tourism destination. Etc. etc.

9. My favorite bill: Congressman Domogan’s bill entitled, “An act mandating the teaching of the major Cordillera languages namely Baguio-Ilokano, Ifugao, Inibaloi, Kankanai, Kalinga, Isneg, Tingguian, and Ifontok as optional subjects with accredited units in the tertiary level of colleges and universities in the Cordillera Administrative Region.” I doubt if it will ever become a law but the Congressman deserves praise for trying.

10. My second favorite bill: Congressman Wacnang’s bill entitled, “An act according official status and legal recognition to tribal peace pact holders as persons in authority….” Bill status: Passed by the Lower House, currently pending in the Senate.

11. My third favorite bill: Congressman Chungalao’s bill entitled, “An act providing for sectoral representatives from indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples in the local legislative councils….” Bill status: Pending with the House Committee on Local Government.

12. My favorite Resolution: Congressman Dangwa’s, “Resolution requesting the committee on public works and highways to investigate, in aid of legislation, the much-publicized withdrawal of a subcontractor and equipment causing the delay in the rehabilitation of the Halsema Highway.” I wonder what happened to the investigation if one was ever conducted.

For the next installment, we will look at bills filed by our lawmakers that have a national significance.

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