A Vice Mayors Academy that will provide continuing education on legislation to presiding officers of local legislative bodies is among the projects eyed by the new leadership of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP), an official here on Thursday said.

Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, VMLP’s newly elected national executive vice president, said he is pushing for the formation of an academy where presiding officers like him can attend capacity-building and skills improvement training.

“We have many programs in our mind. One of that is the creation of the Vice Mayors Academy for the vice mayors’ continued schooling to enhance their knowledge, skills, and know-how, especially when it comes to legislative intervention,” Garcia said.

He cited the need for a fast-paced development that calls for upgrading the presiding officers’ capabilities to preside over local legislative council sessions as well as the current trends and techniques in crafting good legislative pieces, including proper construction, content, and language used for ordinances.

Garcia, elected to the second highest post of the VMLP unopposed during last Tuesday’s (Feb. 22, 2023) 27th National Convention, said a series of training in the academy would also equip vice mayors with the proper skills necessary to run a local legislative council or Sanggunian.

The academy, he said, would become a avenue for the vice mayors to exchange ideas on best practices in supervising municipal and city councils.

“It is also an opportunity for the vice mayors to also learn more from the experiences of other vice mayors and do benchmarking in other cities and municipalities where you can learn good pieces of legislations that they passed which may also be useful if passed in your own locality,” he said, adding that “in exchanging of ideas, vice mayors can work together for the benefit of their respective constituencies.”

Garcia vowed to turn his election as the second highest officer of the organization into an advantage for Cebu City.

Sta. Maria, Isabela Vice Mayor Dean Anthony Domalanta was chosen as VMLP national executive president while Malabon Vice Mayor Bernard Ninong Dela Cruz was elected as national chairperson. Sulu Vice Mayor Almedzar Hajiri was elected as national secretary general.

VMLP, an organization of city and municipal vice mayors in the country has over 1,600 members. (PNA)