Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Assn. (GAWA), yesterday said that one of the most forgotten provisions of the Local Government Code of the Philippines is the sectoral representations in the local sanggunians.
Sancho said no enabling law was passed after almost 35 years. In 1991 the Local Government Code promised three sectoral seats in every local council – one for women, one for workers and a third for other marginalized groups like senior citizens, the urban poor, indigenous people and persons with disability. It was a bold vision to bring the most affected to the heart of the local decision-making.
It is unfortunate that after almost 35 years since its passage, that promise remains unfulfilled because Congress has not passed the necessary enabling law. This is not a mere negligence, it is a deliberate effort on the part of Congress not to empower the marginalized sector. In the same manner that Congress tried to water down the enabling law intended for the Anti-Dynasty Law. This specific provision of the LGC is tantamount to a “dead letter” law, he said.
Across the country, millions of women, laborers, senior citizens contribute to their community yet they have no representatives at the table where policies are made. Without these seats, their concerns, from affordable health care to fair wages, from acceptable public spaces to protection of indigenous lands are often overlooked. The absence of a legal framework will mean COMELEC cannot conduct elections for these representatives and local councils lack the inclusive voices that the LGC intended, Sancho said.
Other nations have shown that it can be done. What keeps our lawmakers from doing the same? Are they afraid that the militant and progressive groups would be the fiscalizers? Congress can do the same by passing a simple clear enabling law that outlines how sectoral representatives are elected in every sanggunians, he said.
“GAWA is calling on our lawmakers to act now. Pass the enabling law for Section 41(c) of the Local Government Code. Let women, workers, senior citizens and other marginalized sectors have a real permanent voice in local governance. This is not just a legal obligation – it is a moral imperative, a step towards a more inclusive, responsive and just society. Let the promise of the 1991 LGC become a reality in 2026. Our communities are waiting, our democracy needs it amidst the overwhelming issues of corruption. Let us give voice to the voiceless and the marginalized sectors who are at the peripheries of our society,” Sancho’s statement added.*
