First District Representative, Rene L. Relampagos recently filed a house bill, resetting the date of synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections from last Monday of October 2013 to the last Monday of October 2014, amending for the purpose Republic Act no. 9340, otherwise known as “an act amending Republic Act No. 9164, resetting the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, and for other purposes.”

Relampagos’ proposed bill that extends the Barangay and SK officials term of office from three (3) to five (5) years instead is based on the rationale that the present three-year term of the barangay and SK official is not adequate to guarantee proper implementation of their projects and that an extension of two years is practical to make certain that they are appropriately carried out and sought to completion.

Moreover, the bill which would separate the Barangay and SK elections from the local and congressional elections adheres to the non-partisan character of the barangay which is described in detail under Article 3, Section 21 of Republic Act no. 9340, “Prohibition against intervention by political party, coalition of political parties, or any other organization.”

If passed, Relampagos’ bill would help Barangay and SK elections be “strictly non-partisan” and pave way for a more efficient project implementation and completion of the barangays.

Author: Jill Christianae A. Rendon

First District Representative, Cong. Rene L. Relampagos, through his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) has allocated a total amount of P5-M worth of medical kits for each barangay of the first district of Bohol in his project, ‘Botika sa Barangay’.

It could be noted that this is not the first time Cong. Relampagos implemented such project. He already had ‘Botika sa Barangay’ going during his term as Bohol’s provincial governor and upon the request of the barangays that may have felt its substantial benefits, he put this project to action again and “relaunched” it now that he is back to public service. He makes sure that he himself distributes the two bags of medical kit containing various drugs and medicines for common illnesses to the recipient barangays. In his barangay sorties, Relampagos made sure that the barangay officials and health workers were duly recognized for their contribution in the success of the implementation of the program.

To date, 250 out of 327 barangays of the first district have already benefited from it and Cong. Relampagos intends to complete implementation by June of this year.  All barangays in the municipalities of: Calape, Corella, Loon, Antequera, Catigbian, Balilihan, Alburquerque, Sikatuna, Cortes, Panglao, Dauis and some in Baclayon and Tagbilaran City have received the kits. ‘Botika sa Barangay’ also paved way for Cong. Relampagos to regularly visit the barangays and make consultations with the people.