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Oversight Body On Major Programs, Projects Created
by Lorebeth C. Requiroso/city Council Office

A LEGISLATIVE Backstopping Committee will now be monitoring the implementation of major projects and programs of the city government.

The City Council during its regular session Monday presided over by Councilor Alfonso Goking created the City Council Oversight Committee to review and assess existing policies and the monitoring of its enforcement at departmental level.Councilor Ramon Tabor, author of the resolution, explained that the legislative body has been approving projects but after giving its imprimatur, it is no longer aware whether these have been implemented or not."Our role here is to monitor our own appropriation ordinances," he added citing that as the policy making body, the City Council must ensure the quality of legislative measure enacted through tracking, analysis and monitoring of the implementation or enforcement of the same.He said the creation of the Backstopping Committee is provided for in the Legislative Agenda of the 15th City Council. Under its House Rules, the City Council is allowed to create special committees as it may deem necessary.The author likewise said that under RA 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code, the City Council is empowered to generate and maximize the use of resources and revenues for the development, plans, program objectives and priorities of the city government.MEMBERS, FUNCTIONSThe special committee is chaired by the chair of the City Council committee on public works, with the chair of the committee on finance as vice chair.The members include the chairmen of the committees on health and social services, on economic enterprise and on barangay affairs and the minority floor leader.The committee is tasked to determine whether enacted measures have been implemented and if the target population is aware of these; assess the effectiveness and identify needed legislative measures if necessary.The committee shall also evaluate the viability of an enacted measure in terms of satisfying the specific needs of the target groups in the community; provide feedbacks as to the enforceability of a measure and perform other legislative related functions as may be assigned by the City Council. Pursuant to the resolution, the special committee shall be assisted by a team of experts in the field of policy science, local administration and law, and knowledgeable on various subjects of local legislation.CONSULTANTWith the creation of the special committee, legislators also approved the hiring of a consultant who will act on matte rs pertaining to the tracking and analysis of legislative measures and other related functions.Councilors Tabor and Ian Mark Nacaya explained the need for a team of experts in the field of policy science, local administration and law and knowledgeable on the varied subjects of the local legislation to assist the Backstopping Committee in its functions. (LCR)