GENERAL TRIAS CITY, Cavite – A Cavite lawmaker plans to institutionalize the one-year-old Cavite Legislative Academy (CLA), the country’s pioneering legislative academy, which offers tie-up program courses with Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)-General Trias City campus.
Cavite Provincial Board Member Kerby Salazar, who is also the Cavite Councilors’ League (CCL) Federation president and General Trias City Councilor, said Wednesday he is pushing to sustain the academy even if his term ends by month’s end.
Salazar has conceptualized and led the launching of the CLA in June 2017 in cooperation with the LPU-GenTri campus, through its Vice President for Administration, Teresa Pilapil, and the assistance of Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla, former Governor Jonvic Remulla, Congressman Luis Ferrer IV and GenTri Mayor Antonio Ferrer.
“As the leader of hundreds of councilors here in Cavite, I would like them to learn how to craft good ordinance or resolution in their respective cities and towns through the legislative academy,” he said.
He also expressed fulfillment that he and 16 other Cavite legislators benefitted from the degree courses offered by the CLA as the academy’s first batch of graduates during the commencement exercises held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City last June 13.
A total of 17 Cavite lawmakers, including Salazar and Cavite Vice-Governor Jolo Revilla, completed their respective degrees with the 10 of them for the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) while seven others finished Bachelor of Arts in Operations Management.
“Being a public servant, actor and a student all at the same time is a great challenge. Pero tulad ng marami sa inyo, I made it. Kapag ginusto, kahit mahirap, hindi lang kakayanin, mapagtatagumpayan pa (But like many of you, I made it. If one really aspires for it amid the difficulties, one could hurdle that and even succeed),” Revilla said.
For his part, Salazar thanked God for “the grace, determination and strength that you give so that despite all the tests we will continue to fight for this (CLA) program.”
He relished at another accomplishment for earning his 2nd degree at the CLA as he obtained his first Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the De La Salle University – Dasmariñas (DLSU-D).
“More than the happiness of receiving my 2nd Degree, the real thing that makes me happy and brought tears of joy is the fact that some of these local legislators have desired to equip themselves and deliver meaningful legislations and decisions to their constituents, even obtaining their college diploma for the first time in their late 50’s or early 60’s,” Salazar said.
For the maiden semester in June last year, 64 councilors have enrolled in the Masters in Public Administration, Legal Studies, Communications, and Operations Management.
A former Vice Mayor and presiding officer of Rosario town’s Sangguniang Bayan (town legislative council), Jose Rozel Hernandez expressed that “hopefully this will be a continuing program for our fellow legislators, malaking-tulong po ito sa ating mga konsehal at mambabatas ng lalawigan (this would be of great help for our councilors and provincial lawmakers).” (Dennis Abrina/PNA)
