MANILA — Speaker Faustino Dy III said the nationwide consultations on the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act could become a template for how the House of Representatives engages citizens on major legislative measures.

The regional hearings, held in Cavite, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, were spearheaded by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chaired by Zia Alonto Adiong. The initiative aimed to bring congressional discussions closer to communities outside Metro Manila.

“It showed us that what we did in Cavite, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro can serve as a model for future consultations on other bills of national importance,” Dy said.

The House is currently merging 24 proposed measures seeking to ban political dynasties, including House Bill No. 6771 authored by Dy and Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, into a single substitute bill.

According to Dy, the consultations underscored the value of inclusive dialogue in crafting legislation and building public confidence in Congress.

“At kung tunay nating hangad ang people-centered governance, ang konsultasyon ay dapat maging bahagi ng ating kultura ng pamamahala,” the Speaker from Isabela said.

He added that the effort signals a move toward participatory governance, where lawmaking is not confined to the session hall but involves citizens from across the country.

“Ipinapakita po nito, na ang batas ay hindi lamang dapat binubuo sa loob ng session hall, kundi kasama ang taumbayan mula sa Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao,” Dy said.

With the regional hearings completed and consolidation of the bills ongoing, Dy said similar public consultations could be considered for other priority legislation.

“Patuloy po tayong mag-usap. Patuloy po tayong makinig. At patuloy po tayong magtulungan para sa mas matatag na Bagong Pilipinas.”