YES, CITIZENS CAN PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS

YES, CITIZENS CAN PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS

Many Filipinos complain about corruption and bad governance. That is a valid complaint. But I cannot help asking: if we truly care about fixing governance, why do so few citizens take the initiative to get involved? Is it because they are afraid, indifferent—or simply unaware that there are perfectly legal ways to participate?

One such way is through the many levels of development councils in our country. These councils exist at the barangay, municipal, city, provincial, and even regional levels. And yes, they are not just government talk shops—they are mandated by law to plan, coordinate, and monitor the development programs that affect our communities.

The structure is quite clear. At the barangay level, the Punong Barangay chairs the Barangay Development Council (BDC). At the municipal and city levels, the mayor chairs the council. At the provincial level, the governor takes the lead. At the regional level, an elected official such as a mayor or governor may chair the Regional Development Council (RDC). In other words, the highest officials in each local government unit (LGU) lead the planning bodies that determine how development priorities are set.

But here’s the important part: citizens are not excluded. In fact, the law requires citizen participation. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)—such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), cooperatives, civic groups, professional associations, faith-based groups, and even business groups—can apply for accreditation so that they can join these councils. Once accredited, CSOs may attend meetings, push for their advocacies, and in some cases, even gain voting rights if chosen as sectoral representatives.

That means ordinary citizens, especially when organized through credible CSOs, can have a say in the actual planning and budgeting of local development projects. And yet, how many know this?

It is ironic. We march in the streets to protest wrong policies, but we fail to show up in the council meetings where those same policies could have been influenced at the start. Should we not consider both approaches? After all, democracy is not only about rallies; it is also about constructive participation in formal institutions.

The problem, of course, is that not all CSOs are equal. Some are well-established and have built trust over the years. Others are “fly-by-night” groups that appear during accreditation season, with no real constituency or track record. Citizens should therefore join credible CSOs that can represent real community interests and make their voices heard meaningfully.

Let me also clarify one common misconception: attending a development council meeting does not always mean you can speak freely. Just like city council (Sangguniang Panlungsod) sessions, attendance is usually open to the public, but participation requires prior coordination. If a CSO wants to present a proposal, it must request inclusion in the agenda or secure endorsement from a council member. Still, even as observers, CSOs gain access to information and opportunities to engage decision-makers.

In fact, accredited CSOs should strive to ensure that their advocacies—whether on climate action, livelihood, indigenous peoples’ rights, or local infrastructure—are included in the agenda of council meetings. If they succeed, they may not just influence small projects but also shape long-term development plans, such as the Barangay Development Plan (BDP) or the Provincial Investment Plan.

There are even broader venues. Citizens have the right to attend regular governing council meetings, including those of the city and municipal councils, unless these are declared “executive sessions.” And yes, even Congress hearings are open to citizens under certain rules. But that is another conversation for another day.

For now, what matters is this: governance is not just the job of politicians. It is also the responsibility of citizens. If we complain about corruption but refuse to participate, are we not also part of the problem?

Development councils offer us a concrete, legal, and constructive way to get involved. No need for barricades, no need for slogans shouted under the heat of the sun. Instead, we can sit at the table, study the plans, propose alternatives, and vote when given the chance.

This is real democracy in action. And it is available to all of us—if only we are willing to take part.

So, I leave you with this question: will we continue to watch from the sidelines, or will we step inside the council chambers and help shape the future of our communities?

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

12-06-2025 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it ...
Read more