FOURTH District Rep. Christopher De Venecia has filed a bill in Congress seeking to strengthen and streamline the functions of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to make it more relevant.

House bill No. 5308 filed by De Venecia early this year is a proposed Act that seeks to amend certain provisions of Republic Act No. 7356, otherwise known as the “Law Creating the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts”

He has proposed that in addition to formulating policies for the development of culture and arts and implement these policies, the NCCA should be given broader powers to formulate and implement programs on its own or in coordination with affiliated cultural agencies.

De Venecia, who was once a child actor and worked as theater director, before he was elected to Congress, also sought amendment of Section 9 of the said Act.

This proposed provision seeks to redefine the composition the Commission as follows: It shall be composed of a chairman, and 16 members, with the requirement that the Chairman shall be a person of proven administrative proficiency, independence, knowledgeable of the different aspects of the culture and the arts and shall have at least 10 years of actual experience in the culture and arts industry and fully committed to the development of Philippine culture.

He proposes that the chairman and the members shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, and the board shall elect a vice chairman from among its members for a term of three years.

And, in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chairman, the vice chairman shall assume such duties and responsibilities until such time a chairman is appointed.

He proposes that the 16 members of the board shall be representatives of legally constituted organizations or groups familiar with the works of culture and arts.

The young congressman also proposed that the commission organizes a secretariat headed by an executive director who shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the commission.

While the executive director shall be appointed by the President, De Venecia said that the Act should have a clause that will prevent any member of the commission to also serve as executive director.

Meanwhile, De Venecia hailed the final approval of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of Dagupan by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HULRB).

Noting the value of CLUP as guide for future land uses, De Venecia called on other local governments in his district–Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag– to follow the example set by Dagupan City by also preparing and adopting their respective CLUPs.

He said it is the CLUP that investors always ask for before they decide to invest in a town or city to ensure that their investments are protected for the long term.

The congressman believes that more government assistance will pour to LGUs with an approved CLUP than those without.

He cited Dagupan which is now reaping the benefits of having a new CLUP citing the proposal of the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PESA) to make the city center for medium industries whose products can be sold abroad.

He congratulated Mayor Belen Fernandez and other city officials and employees for incessantly working together so that the city can have a new CLUP. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments