PARTICIPATORY governance takes its first tentative step as the city government of Tagbilaran convenes its people's Council.

The move is in realization of city ordinance no. C-184, or the Participatory Governance Ordinance (PGO).

In her statement, Vice Mayor Nuevas Montes said the city recognizes and values partnership with non-government and people's organizations, them being immersed with issues, ideas and concerns of city residents.

“Through the representatives of different sectors in the people's council, we hope to bring the government closer to the people by giving their issues and concerns preference in legislation,” Vice-Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes, author of the PGO, explained.

The organization of the people's council, she adds is part of the city government's commitment to promote participatory processes in governance.

Formally organized March 16, the council elected its first presiding officer.

However, to ensure equal attention towards the different sectors during quarterly consultations, the People's Council will divert form the conventional organizational structure where a permanent presiding officer is elected.

A rotating chairperson-ship scheme will be followed, members agreed.

Here, a chairperson will only hold office to facilitate consultations for one quarter.

According to City Local Government Operations Officer (CLGOO) Mardonio Roxas, the innovation will afford full participation from all sectors.

This assures the power will not be concentrated in one sector alone. The key is sharing leadership and responsibility, he pressed.

With the rotating scheme, the council elects a host who will preside for a pre-consultation meeting and will serve as co-presiding officer during the joint consultative session with the SP.

Another host will be elected to serve as a chairperson in the next pre-consultation and joint consultative session with the SP.

For this, no organization gets elected twice until all members of the council shall have served at least one hosting term, they pressed to assure non-monopoly.

People's Council and co-presiding this year is Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) representative Nemesio Monton. He also represents the Sports, Arts and Culture sector.

Alternate chairperson is economic sector representative of the Bohol Diocesan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BDMPC) Gerardo Oraño.