USE LONGER TERM TO FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES, PUBLIC SAFETY – SPEAKER DY TO BARANGAY OFFICIALS

Addressing barangay officials attending the fifth LegisHear consultation in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, the Speaker cited the law setting a fixed term for barangay officials and moving the next barangay elections to November 2028.

“Okay na po ang inyong fixed term na ipagpaliban ng 2028 na ng November ang inyong eleksyon,” Dy told the barangay officials.

“Sapagkat napakarami na dapat pa nating harapin para lalo po inyong mapangalagaan ang ating barangay, lalo-lalo na para maging safe ang ating barangay,” he added.

Dy said barangay officials have an important role in LegisHear because their proximity to communities gives them firsthand knowledge of the problems that national legislation should seek to address.

The Speaker said bringing Congress closer to communities allows lawmakers to hear directly from local leaders and residents instead of relying solely on discussions conducted in the Batasang Pambansa.

Dy said this was the idea behind LegisHear when it began in his home province of Isabela and subsequently traveled to Butuan, Dumaguete, South Cotabato, and now Negros Occidental.

“Gusto naming ilapit po sa inyo ang Kongreso para malaman po namin kung ano ang mga tunay na dapat natin mapag-usapan para lalo pa po natin mapaganda ang lahat ng mga isinusulong na panukalang batas sa 20th Congress,” he said.

For barangay officials, Dy said the consultations provide an opportunity to bring community-level concerns directly to national lawmakers, particularly on matters involving public safety and the welfare of families and children.

The Speaker cited the safety of children as one issue requiring cooperation among Congress, barangay officials, parents, and communities.

“Kailangan po natin magtulungan,” Dy said, as he discussed efforts in Congress to strengthen measures aimed at preventing children from gaining access to firearms kept in homes.

“Tungkulin natin lahat ito na maging ligtas ang ating mga kabataan, nandun sa inyong loob, ng inyong tahanan, at gano’n din paglabas at nandun sa kanilang silid paaralan,” he stressed.

Dy encouraged barangay officials and other LegisHear participants to use the consultation to identify gaps in existing policies and recommend practical solutions based on what they encounter in their own communities.