Bacolod mayor appointed to LEDAC

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia as a member of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) of the 17th Congress.

According to a press release from the Bacolod City Hall, Leonardia will represent local government units (LGUs) to the LEDAC.

Among the members of the LEDAC are the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, and seven Cabinet Secretaries selected by the President.

The LEDAC is the highest consultative and advisory body to the President on economic and development matters to integrate the legislative agenda with the national development plan.

The President is also the chair of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.

Created through Republic Act No. 7640 in 1992, the LEDAC also serves as a venue to facilitate high-level policy discussions on vital issues and concerns affecting national development.

The presidential appointment was dated September 23, 2019 and received by Leonardia on Oct. 1, 2019.

The LEDAC is composed of 20 members with the President as chair. The other members are the three members of the Senate designated by the Senate President, three members of the House of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House, a representative of the Local Government Units, a representative from the Youth Sector, and a representative from the Private Sector.

RA 7640 mandates LEDAC with the following functions, among others:

(1) Determines and recommends socio-economic development goals;

(2) Provides policy advice to the President;

(3) Integrates regional development plans into the national development plan;

(4) Studies measures to improve implementation of official development assistance;

(5) Assesses effectiveness of the implementation of the national development plan.