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GAWA urges enabling law for sectoral representation

The General Alliance of Workers Association is urging Congress to pass an enabling law to include local sectoral representatives in local legislative councils or Sanggunians of every local government unit.

This provision is included in Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, GAWA Secretary-General Wennie Sancho said in a press statement Wednesday, August 14.

“Local sectoral representation is one of the most magnificent democratic provisions in the 1987 Constitution as well as in the Local Government Code”, he said.

“Unfortunately, after almost 33 years since its enactment into law Congress has yet to pass an enabling law that will pave the way for the conduct of elections for local sectoral representatives in the Sanggunians”, Sancho said

Sec. 41(c) of the Local Government Code states that “there shall be one representative from the women, one representative from the workers and one from any of the following sectors: the urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, disabled persons and elderly or any other sector as maybe determined by the Sanggunian concerned, within 90 days prior to the holding of the next local elections, maybe provided by law”, Sancho said.*

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