House, UP to hold short courses for neophyte lawmakers

MANILA, Philippines - Neophyte lawmakers are set to undergo parliamentary skills training, including the proper use of pork barrel funds, and other short courses that would make them effective legislators, officials of the House of Representatives said yesterday.

House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap said the program is done in partnership for the first time with the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) and was an initiative of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

“This is an intensive course on various subjects on the intricacies of lawmaking, parliamentary rules, policy-making in general, and even how to run your office,” Yap, who will be one of the lecturers, told The STAR.

“There would be subjects on the budget process, what is the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund), what are your duties and responsibilities and accountability,” she said.

The first batch will start their weeklong course on June 24 at the NCPAG premises in Quezon City and some at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

Yap said the usual cost of the course is about P35,000 per student but since the participants are also from government, the charges have been trimmed down and some of the activities would be held at the Batasan to save on expenses.

She said new House members are usually shy and not assertive. The courses, hopefully, would make them effective lawmakers and help speed up legislative work.

CIBAC party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna recalled his apprehensions as a neophyte in 2010.

“My advice is to observe and learn from senior legislators. It also pays to be kind, be sensitive and have a genuine interest in the different people you will work with in Congress,” Tugna said.

He said he learned that the common perception that all congressmen are only after their own interest was proven false as many of his colleagues are “reformists and idealistic.”

The House usually conducts orientation briefings for new members but this is the first time it is going to be done extensively in a classroom environment.

Yap said Belmonte pushed for the program with NCPAG, whose past partnership with the House involved only scholarship programs for executives of the chamber.

Belmonte earlier pushed for the creation of a legislative academy to enhance the skills of lawmakers.

“I envision the Legislative Academy not merely as a training institution for national and local government lawmakers. I envision it as a focal point – a place of convergence where both national and local lawmakers can discuss issues and concerns together, hand in hand, and support each other’s policies with laws and ordinances,” he said.

Belmonte also noted that the institution of Legislative Academy “has been well on the mind of Congress for some time already” but “time is against the current Congress.”

Currently, three measures are being studied by the House committee on civil service and professional regulations: House Bill Nos. 227, 108 and 1895 authored by Rep. Amado Bagatsing, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, respectively.