Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay vowed on Wednesday to bring the local government perspective into national legislation and ensure that laws reflect the realities on the ground.
Binay made the statement during her visit to the City Hall of Santo Tomas in Batangas, where she was warmly welcomed by residents and local officials, led by Mayor Arth Jhun Aguilar and Vice Mayor Catherine Jaurigue-Perez.
She explained that her decision to run for senator stemmed from her frustration with national laws that are enacted without consulting local governments, leading to poor and inefficient implementation.
“When you’re a mayor, you see the laws they pass, and it’s frustrating because local governments are not consulted… They don’t understand where we’re coming from,” Binay said.
The mayor cited the Solo Parent Act as an example, pointing out that the law imposes the burden of funding monthly allowances for solo parents on local government units.
“There are municipalities and cities that cannot afford to give allowances for solo parents... It’s not fair. It wasn’t thought through properly,” she said.
Binay emphasized that her experience as a local chief executive would give her the advantage to push for policies that are more responsive to the diverse needs of local government units.
She also reiterated her push for amendments to the Local Government Code, which she would advocate for if elected Senator, to ensure the genuine empowerment of local government units. These amendments include regular salaries, GSIS, and Pag-IBIG coverage for barangay officials.
Binay also paid a courtesy call on Calamba City Mayor Roseller Rizal and Vice Mayor Angelito Lazaro Jr. at Calamba City Hall, where she shared fond memories of her college days at UP Los Baños. The city officials thanked Binay for the P1-million financial assistance provided by Makati to help the city recover from typhoon “Kristine.”
She also reiterated her advocacies for free maintenance medicines, especially for senior citizens, a better education system with a greater focus on the preschool level, and tax exemptions for overtime pay and bonuses to improve take-home pay for workers.
Her next stop was Biñan City Hall, where she received a warm reception from local officials, including Biñan City Mayor Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. and Vice Mayor Angelo “Gel” Alonte.
During their meeting, the officials discussed their local initiatives on disaster preparedness and resilience. Biñan was one of the local government units that received financial assistance from Makati after typhoons “Kristine” and “Leon.”
Binay is also set to visit the cities of Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao and San Pedro in Laguna.