TUGUEGARAO CITY, CAGAYAN – During the 3rd Cycle of the Legal Education and Policy Discussion with DILG Officers (LEAD with DILG) initiative held on March 4, 2021, Cagayan Field Officers discussed the provisions of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-153 and formulated a provincial mechanism to capacitate LGUs on protecting the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons – collectively termed as Persons of Concern.
The aforesaid department issuance aims to institutionalize the ad-hoc assistance being extended by the LGUs in accordance with the Philippines’ commitment to ensure that all refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons in the country have fair and equal access to assistance, protection, and durable solutions at all times. This is in line with the DILG’s commitment as member of Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Protection of Refugees.
In Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland on December 17-18, 2019 and the High Level Segment on Statelessness held on the same year, the Philippines pledged to enhance its policy, legal, and operational frameworks for refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. Moreover, it has made a commitment to grant them full access to rights under international conventions and national laws.
LGOO II Renz Angelo P. Umambong, Officer-in-Charge for International Relations, briefed the DILG Cagayan personnel on the related international conventions and roles of the LGUs in promoting the welfare of Persons of Concern. According to him, LGUs are tasked to institutionalize policies that protect the well-being of refugees and stateless persons. Moreover, he said that LGUs are expected to ensure inclusion of Persons of Concern in public relief without discrimination, engage community organizations to liaise with employers, assess and match skills of Persons of Concern with the available market, create local policies and community values promote a multicultural environment,and strengthen the capacity of educational institutions to develop a learning culture that is inclusive of Persons of Concern. While at present, Cagayan has not recorded any Persons of Concern, Umambong emphasized the significance of crafting policies that will immediately trigger in the event that refugees or stateless persons will find refuge in the province.
At the end of the endeavor, the City and Municipal LGOOs agreed to facilitate the creation of a Special Action Committee or Task Force in the LGU that will protect and advance the rights of Persons of Concern.
The "LEAD with DILG" initiative is a knowledge sharing protocol which started in 2019. Recently, Cagayan PO launched two (2) mini-series via online platforms. The first session was about the Sanggunian Kabataan related laws and policies. As a result thereof, DILG Cagayan was able to solicit the guidance of the Commission on Audit and Bureau of Internal Revenue on SK fiscal matters. Likewise, on February, the second cycle was spearheaded wherein local officials and DILG officers were oriented on the procedure of road clearing validation, with the intent to develop a common and unified provincial approach on the said topic.
LEAD with DILG is expected to be continuously implemented, and for the last quarter, DILG Cagayan is planning to forge a partnership with the Commission on Elections to reorient the former’s personnel on election laws, rules, and regulations, in preparation for their role during the 2022 National and Local Elections. (Source: LGOO II RENZ ANGELO P. UMAMBONG)
