With the public frustration over the systemic pork barrel practices still fresh, with watchdogs and lawmakers frequently highlighting pervasive budget “insertions” and infrastructure scandals, they are the alternative to shape the destiny of our expectant nation.

While the perception of having “no choice” is deeply felt due to entrenched political dynasties, voters still hold agency through rigorous vetting, supporting alternative candidates, and demanding electoral reform.

Let us no longer wait for that. Let us now make our choices, fresh men and women actually blazing the trail in local fiscal administration, with solid and visible evidence of performance.

Several notable local chief executives are widely “ripe” or highly qualified for the Senate due to their successful local governance track records and strong legislative and executive performance.

According to the Commission on Audit’s latest Annual Financial Reports, the 10 richest cities in the Philippines in terms of total assets, including cash, infrastructure, public facilities, and property with their respective incumbent mayors whose outstanding performances are reflected below:

1. Maria Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte Quezon City P489.95 billion

2. Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay Makati City 246.10 billion

3. Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso Manila 92.81 billion

4. Maria Laarni “Lani” Lopez Cayetano Taguig City 54.17 billion

5. Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” N. Sotto Pasig City 53.48 billion

6. Raisa Maria Lourdes S. Treñas-Chu Iloilo City 39.48 billion

7. Edwin Olivarez Parañaque City 38.21 billion

8. Sebastian “Baste” Duterte Davao City 37.40 billion

9. Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” M. Oano Mandaue City 35.78 billion

10. Carmelita “Wenchie” Aguilar Abalos Mandaluyong City 34.16 billion

Local government CEOs are uniquely qualified to transition to national legislative functions as senators. Their hands-on experience as chief implementers of the Local Government Code of 1991 gives them a pragmatic, grassroots-level understanding of how national policies actually impact communities. This transition from local to national governance requires specific legislative preparations.

1. Operationalizing Grassroots into National Policy

The Reality:

a) Local EOs (like city/provincial governors) deal daily with decentralized basic services, local taxation, and resource generation.

b) The Legislative Skill: In the Senate, they are perfectly positioned to translate this micro-level operational knowledge into systematic national legislation. They know exactly which national mandates are unrealistic or underfunded on the ground.

2. Key Functional Differences to Master

a) Local Executives (Chief Executive Offices): Their primary duty is to execute laws, deliver basic services, manage local budgets, and maintain executive peace and order.

b) National Senators (Top legislators): Their focus must pivot from localized executives to broad, structural policymaking. They are tasked with national budget scrutiny, Senate privilege speeches, national security and international treaties.

To bridge this gap effectively, former LGU executives transitioning to the Senate should prepare by:

a) Building a Robust Technical Staff: Surrounding themselves with career experts in constitutional law, economics, and international relations.

b) Shifting from Micro to Macro: Transitioning their focus from managing daily city operations (like traffic and local waste management) to sponsoring and defending national bills of broad applications.

c) Mastering Senate Rules: Studying the Rules of the Senate to navigate committee work, committee chairmanships, and political consensus-building.

Email: arturobesana2@gmail.com