31 new House members to take crash course on lawmaking

MANILA, Philippines - Thirty-one new members of the House of Representatives will take a four-day “executive course” on lawmaking and on their duties as lawmakers in general starting today.

The orientation is a joint project of the House leadership under Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance.

Today’s opening ceremonies, lectures and discussions will be held at UP Diliman, while the succeeding sessions will be conducted at the Andaya Hall of the Batasang Pambansa complex.

The course aims to give new lawmakers “substantial working knowledge of the theories, concepts and dynamics of legislation that they need in performing their lawmaking role.”

 It would enable them to “appreciate the value of legislation in the context of Philippine development, in general, and the developing challenges of their legislative districts, in particular.”

The course also aims to make its participants “understand the dynamics of the legislative process and of the management of relationships with peers, executive agencies, civil society organizations, international development agencies, and their constituents.”

Part of the sessions will focus on the “development value, uses, processes, limitation, and accountability requirements of the PDAF.”

PDAF stands for Priority Development Assistance Fund. It is a P25-billion lump sum in the annual national budget. Incoming Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, who has signed up for the orientation course, has called for reforms in the use of PDAF.