Vice Governor Rene Lopez Relampagos welcomed Atty. Bruce N. Ragas of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Regional Director, as the latter visited Bohol on November 18, 2021, to coordinate with local government units (LGU) here regarding the agency’s devolution plan.
The POPCOM official’s visit is related to the plan of the said agency to put up an office here in the province pursuant to the Mandanas-Garcia ruling wherein the national agencies transfer and delegate to the LGUs some of their functions and responsibilities in delivering basic services.
To have an overview of the plan in the province, Board Member Bonita, who is currently the chairperson of the Committee on Health and a doctor by profession, discussed with Ragas the processes and needs of the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) in terms of fulfilling the goal of having a local POPCOM office here.
Based on their discussion, A Ragas expressed the need to address the issue on teenage pregnancy and the devolution transition plan of the POPCOM.
Bonita conveyed the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s (SP) full support towards the issue on teenage pregnancy raised by the POPCOM executive.
Moreover, the board member has invited Ragas to the SP to present POPCOM’s devolution transition plan.
Relampagos who recently approved the PGBh’s Devolution Transition Plan in the Committee of the Whole level, is supportive of the plan since the province is also preparing to adopt to the devolution of functions and responsibilities of national government agencies in the coming years.
The vice governor is optimistic that POPCOM and the PGBh will have a smooth transition in fully implementing the devolved services through the LGU.
The POPCOM is a government agency mandated as the overall coordinating, monitoring and policy-making body of the population and development program.
