Local Legislators' Toolkit - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng ...

<strong>Local</strong> Legislation CycleAs an institution tasked to carry out a public mandate, the sanggunian must have a clearunderstanding of the vision and mission of the LGU unit to which it belongs. As well, itswork must be guided by a clear process that defines the role of different stakeholders ineach stage or phase.<strong>Local</strong> legislation is a cycle that involves four phases or stages:1. Legislative Agenda Formulation2. Crafting of Ordinances and Resolutions3. Enactment of Ordinances and Codes of Ordinances4. Evaluation of the Implementation of OrdinancesAt each phase, various stakeholders in the LGU interact with the sanggunian to ensure thatmeasures produced address the development objectives of the LGU.Phase 1. Legislative Agenda FormulationLegislation does not begin with the first reading of a proposed measure. Legislationbegins much earlier, with the formulation of a list of priority legislative measureswhich the sanggunian seeks to enact for the duration of its term or what is called alegislative agenda.A legislative agenda (LA) is a package of priority policies and legislative measuresdesigned to support local development priorities, particularly those defined in theexecutive-legislative agenda (ELA). As defined in the ELA Manual, the ELA is anintegrated plan that contains the major development thrusts and priorities of both theexecutive and legislative branches towards a common vision for the locality.With the ELA as basis, the LA can be used to focus the work of the sanggunianduring its term of office. It can serve as a road map to guide the sanggunian inidentifying, analyzing and formulating solutions to problems and issues requiring10