DILG pushes Local People's Council to widen civil society role in Davao City governance

The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Davao City (DILG-Davao City) is calling for the creation of a Local People's Council (LPC), a body meant to give civil society organizations and community groups a stronger voice in local policymaking, according to Edge Davao.

The proposed council would serve as a formal venue where different sectors can air concerns, submit recommendations and take part in decisions that affect their communities.

To move the proposal forward, the DILG Davao City Operations Office held a capacity-building activity and multi-sectoral dialogue on October 26 and 27, 2026, at The Apo View Hotel. Attendees included city government officials, accredited civil society organizations, people's organizations, sectoral groups and members of the academe. Sectors represented included fisherfolk, farmers, persons with disabilities, environmental advocates, social protection groups and economic organizations.

DILG Davao City Director Mika-Chan S. Magtulis said an institutionalized council could help the local government improve public services and decision-making. "Good governance is not only about what government can do for the people, but also about what government and the people can accomplish together," she said. Magtulis added that public participation should be seen not as an obstacle but as a way to make governance more responsive and effective.

Participants tackled the legal and policy basis for the council, its possible structure, and inclusive participation principles under the Open Government Partnership. They also assessed whether civil society groups are ready to take on a bigger role in local governance.

Councilor Al Ryan S. Alejandre, who chairs the City Council's Committee on Cooperative Development and People's Participation, voiced support for institutionalizing the council. Jobe C. Tubigon, executive director of Kasilak Development Foundation, shared the group's experience of working with the local government.

The dialogue produced initial recommendations on the council's composition, sectoral representation, membership safeguards, functions and operations, along with proposed actions, timelines and needed support. It closed with the signing of a Pledge of Commitment toward establishing the council.

DILG-Davao City said the next step is turning these commitments into concrete action toward the council's formal establishment.