The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through its Local Government Capacity Development Division (LGCDD), successfully held the Regional Decentralization Conference on Friday, November 15. The hybrid event took place at Brentwood Suites in Quezon City, while also being made accessible via Zoom Teleconferencing.
The conference aimed to provide a platform for discussing key aspects of decentralization and devolution, particularly the ongoing amendments to the 1991 Local Government Code. It also focused on proposed legislative reforms designed to strengthen local governance.
The conference featured a series of resource persons who shared valuable insights on decentralization and local governance. The following topics were discussed:
• LGOO VI Arce Fajardo, Officer-in-Charge of the Division Chief, Local Development and Planning Division, BLGD, presented the “Roadmap for Amending the 1991 Local Government Code”
• Aileen Joy Pactao, Faculty member of Palawan State University, discussed her research on “Enhancing the Delivery of Primary Healthcare Services in a Fifth-Class Municipality: The Case of Agutaya, Palawan”
• Arjel Quijano, MPA, Program Chair of the Bachelor of Public Administration at Occidental Mindoro State College, presented the “Barangay Communal Gardening Program”
• LGOO VII Ariel Reginio, Cluster Head for DILG Oriental Mindoro, discussed the “Food Security to Food Sovereignty: Exploring the Roles of Local Governance”
The event was moderated by LGOO VI Dennis Beltran, CESE, who facilitated the smooth flow of discussions and engaged participants in thoughtful dialogue. LGOO V Reianne Mae Maranan synthesized the discussions, highlighting key takeaways and facilitating further dialogue among participants.
In his opening message, DILG MIMAROPA Regional Director Karl Caesar Rimando, CESO III emphasized the critical role of decentralization in achieving more inclusive and efficient governance. Marinduque Vice Governor Adeline Angeles delivered a message of support, offering observations and recommendations on the decentralization process.
The event concluded with a message from Assistant Regional Director Rey Maranan, CESO IV, who expressed appreciation for the valuable contributions of all resource persons and participants.
